


Ships in the Night

by mysterioustrumpet



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Hunk (Voltron), Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bisexual Allura (Voltron), Bisexual Coran (Voltron), Bisexual Disaster Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Childhood Friends, Gay Disaster Keith (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Light-Hearted, M/M, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, POV First Person, Pirates, Present Tense, Romance, Slow Burn Keith/Lance (Voltron), ex childhood friends, former allurance, klance, light Adashi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 04:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18380744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysterioustrumpet/pseuds/mysterioustrumpet
Summary: Lance McClain is living his best life as a pirate. He steals gold, sails the seas with his friends, and doesn’t have a care in the world. He and his crew are set on the course of finding the world’s greatest treasure, Voltron’s Trove, and he figures nothing can stop him.But when Lance finds someone floating in the water after a storm, the last person he expects it to be is Keith Kogane, his former childhood friend. The two haven’t spoken in ten years, and their old wounds are reopened. To make matters worse Keith’s ship was wrecked in the storm, leaving him separated from his crew and desperate to make his way back. So, in order to keep Keith around, Lance decides to strike a deal.





	1. The Worst Reunion Ever

I slowly let out a breath. Alright, Lance. It’s now or never. I glance over at Pidge, who gives me a nod. I nod back, hold up my hand in a fist, and count on my fingers. One. Two Three. Now!

Pidge throws the bomb down on the ground, and I cover my ears and face away from the explosion. Before the dust clears I push myself to my feet and sprint into the jail, ignoring the cries of outrage from the prisoners. Relax, guys. The bomb wasn’t big enough to hurt anyone. At least, I think. I grin to myself as I duck out of the smoke and reach the cell I’m looking for. I stroll up to it with Pidge on my heels, give them a nod, together we use our daggers to pry open the bars of the cell. I step into the cell and prop my hands on my hips, giving the prisoner a confident smirk.

“Well, well, well,” I drawl. “You’re looking well, Unilu. Have you lost weight?”

Unilu cowers in the corner of the cell, peering at me from between his hands. “You know d-damn well I haven’t. W-what do you want from me?”

Pidge rolls their eyes. “Please. You know what we’re here for.”

Unilu makes a crude gesture towards them. “P-piss off! I ain’t giving you guys nothing.”

I lean forward and grab him by his tattered collar, lifting him off the ground. He makes a terrified noise and squirms in the air. “Listen here, smart-ass. Give us the map, and we won’t hurt you any more than we have to. Got it?”

Unilu swallows as he starts shaking. “F-fine. You guys win. I’ll give ya’ the damn map.”

I give him a sickly sweet smile and drop him back on the ground. “Great! Now, please.”

Unilu swears under his breath but crawls over to the corner of the cell, removing a stone from the wall and reaching in to pull out a folded piece of worn parchment. He holds it out to me with an expression of revulsion, and my smile grows wider. I snatch the parchment out of his hand and eagerly open it up, Pidge standing closer to me to take a look.

I pause. Then I flip the parchment over. Nope. Nothing on the back. I turn it back so I can see the meager, torn piece of a map I just received. I look back at Unilu, who squeals and flinches like he’s expecting a beating. Which honestly, I’m considering. “You call this a map? This is barely enough paper to wipe my ass! What the hell, Unilu? I thought we had a deal.”

Unilu curls his lip in contempt, a weird expression to be making while cowering at the same time. “I never said I had the  _ full _ map.”

“Well, then where’s the rest of it?” Pidge demands. 

Unilu shrugs his bony shoulders. “N-no clue. That’s all I was able to get.”

I groan and glance at Pidge, who gives me a tired shrug of their own. “Fine. Unilu, did the person you got this from happen to say where the rest was?”

Unilu swallows and wipes his brow. “W-well, no. B-but I know that this map was torn into seven pieces! I promise my information’s credible!”

Pidge taps me on the shoulder and I turn my back to Unilu to hear what they have to say. “I don’t think he’s lying, Lance. This is all we’re gonna’ get for now.”

“I agree,” I whisper. “Let’s see if we can get the name of his dealer.”

I face Unilu again and go over to stand like I’m towering over him. He quivers and covers his face, and I sigh on the inside. What a coward. “Tell me, Unilu. Who did you get this map from?”

“I th-think someone named Rolo?” he whimpers. “He was really hard to get it from, you know!”

I roll my eyes. “I bet. Can you tell us where this ‘Rolo’ is now?”

“He said he was going to do more trading in Olkarion,” Unilu says. 

“Olkarion?” I repeat. “That’s at least half a month's journey away!”

“Lance, let’s leave,” Pidge says, placing their hand on my arm. “The guards could be here any second.”

I sigh. “Yeah, you’re right. This isn’t over, Unilu. If we find out your information’s wrong, you know what’ll happen, don’t you?”

Unilu flinches again. “Yeah. I get it.”

I give him a wink. “See you soon.”

Pidge and I hightail it out of the jail, returning the way we came through a series of tunnels under the building. Luckily the prison was situated on the edge of a cliff, making it much easier to return to our ship that had been docked there earlier. Our ship, the Blue Lion, was a beautiful Man of War that I managed to acquire a few years back. Of course, being able to steal didn’t hurt. A flat rock leads almost directly to the side of the ship, and I let Pidge go up the ladder before me. When I hoist myself onto the deck, my crew comes over to see what our report it. See, I’m a pirate. Not only that, but I’m one of the best pirates. I’ve been at sea with my crew for almost two years now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re the best crew a man could ask for. Well, there’s one person I would have here if I could, but I try hard not to think about it.

“What did you get?” Matt, Pidge’s brother, asks. “I bet Unilu was scared out of his mind.”

Pidge chuckles. “You got that right. Lance lifted him right off his feet and he could barely form a sentence!”

Hunk claps me on the back. “Way to go, Lance! What’d you get from him?”

“Yes, don’t keep us waiting,” Allura adds, folding her arms. 

I raise an eyebrow and bring out the piece of map that Unilu gave me. My friends stare at it, not comprehending, before Coran clears his throat. “Is there more, or . . .?”

“Nope, this is everything,” I say, my voice bitter. “That little weasel took this from someone else, a guy named Rolo. Apparently, there’s six other pieces out there.”

“Six?!” they cry.

“Yep. Six.” I stuff the piece of the map back in my coat pocket and head over to my cabin, my crew following behind me. I enter my cabin and place the map piece on my desk. “Until we find this Rolo fellow, there’s not much else we can do.”  

“Where will we find him?” Matt asks. 

“Unilu said he was trading in Olkarion,” Pidge says. “Which is gonna’ take us a while to get to.”

Allura sighs. “Well, if we’re headed that way we might as well get started now. Hunk, how are our supplies?”

Hunk made a humming sound as he thought. “I think we should be good until we reach Olkarion. Our rum supplies are looking a bit low, but unless you guys are super worried about it, I don’t think we need to stop.”

“Hunk’s right,” I agree. “Rum is the least of our worries. We should head to Olkarion as soon as we can.”

“Right!” the crew says. Everyone except Allura leaves the cabin to tend to their individual jobs, and I take a seat behind my desk with a weary sigh.

“Are you sure Olkarion is the best place to start?” Allura asks, leaning against my desk. As the quartermaster of the ship, I counted on Allura’s judgment the most out of everyone.

I sigh again. “I don’t think we’ve got another choice. How else are we supposed to find the rest of the map?”

“That’s certainly true,” Allura says. “I just hope this Rolo character hasn’t left Olkarion by the time we get there.”

I drag my hands down my face. “If he has, we’ll just have to ask around the old fashioned way.”

Allura chuckles. “As opposed to the new-fashioned way?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Of course.” Allura steps away from my desk. “Get some rest, Lance. We’re setting off soon.”

“Yep.”

Allura closes the door after she leaves and I lean back in my chair. As always, as soon as I’m alone I start thinking of things I don’t necessarily want to be thinking about. But it’s like a habit now. A habit that’s only grown more concrete over the years. 

_ “I can’t be friends with you anymore.” _

I groan and ruffle my hair with my hands. “I don’t wanna’ think about that, dammit!” But it’s too late, the memory has already come to the surface. So I sigh, close my eyes, and allow the memory to run its course. 

_ “Lance, stop,” he says. _

_ I stop walking and turn to look at him. He has a weird, almost bitter expression on his face, and I frown. “What’s up? Why do you look like that?” _

_ He clenches his jaw and his hands curl into fists by his side. “This is serious, Lance.” _

_ I take a step towards him, my eyes narrowing. “If it’s so serious, why can’t you look me in the eye?” _

_ He just squeezes his eyes shut and takes a step back, his fists tightening. “We . . . we can’t be friends anymore.” _

_ Huh? “What the hell does that mean? Are you messing with me?” I shove him lightly with my elbow. “Come on, dude, cut it out.” _

_ “I’m serious, Lance!” he bursts, and I blink at the raw emotion on his face. He turns around before I can fully register what it is, but he looked like he was in pain. What’s going on? _

_ “I can’t be friends with you anymore.” His barely glances over his shoulder. “Goodbye, Lance.” _

_ He starts walking away, and something pierces my chest. “W-wait! Don’t go!” I take a step to follow him, but he takes off running, leaving me standing by myself in the middle of the street. His figure fades out of sight, and I’m left with nothing, with nobody.  _

I give a sharp inhale and press my hand to my chest. Deep breaths, Lance. In, out. The pain will pass. It always does. I drag my sleeve across my eyes to get rid of any lingering wetness. Whoever said, “time heals all wounds” was an idiot. Time just makes them deeper and harder to get rid of. Just because it’s been years doesn’t make it any less painful. This has been happening for a long time now, so I know what to expect. What surprises me is how much it hurts each time. It’s like whenever I’m about to forget just how bad it feels, my memory reels back and punches me in the gut. 

I stand up and do some stretches. Alright, it’s done. I don’t have to think about it again for a while. Usually another week or so before it pops again. I let out a deep breath, lightly smack my cheeks, and head out to the deck to get some work done.

* * *

“Stow the sails!” I yell. The world flashes white as lightning arcs across the sky, and I grit my teeth against the ear-splitting sound of thunder. I can barely make out my crew moving about on the deck, and I rush over to help Pidge bring in one of the sails.

“Is everyone on belay?” Allura calls out.

Everyone gives a yell of confirmation, and I see Matt checking the belay pins to make sure our lifelines are secure. Another white claw of lightning flashes overhead, followed almost immediately by a clap of thunder. Damn, the lightning’s too close. We could be hit at any second. A wall of black rises to my left, and I look over to see a tall wave bearing down on us. I hear someone yell something incomprehensible, and fear slices through me like a knife. I swallow and grab Pidge, holding them tight to me as I grab onto the nearest mast. I squeeze my eyes closed as the water crashes over us, rendering me deaf for a second, and when I open my eyes I’m relieved to see everyone still there.

“Quickly, start bailing!” I command, moving away from Pidge and grabbing a bucket. I hand one to Coran and one to Matt, and the three of us frantically try to get rid of the water on the deck. The last thing we need right now is to be weighed down.

“Lance!” Pidge yells. 

I look over at them, blinking rapidly in the pelting rain. “Yeah?”

“We need to head west!” they say, flinching as lightning and thunder envelop the world. “The storm is angled north by northwest, so we should be able to get out safely!”

I nod. “Got it!” I repeat their instructions to the rest of the crew, heading over to the helm as fast as I can. Hunk joins me, and together we pull the tiller so that the boat starts turning to head west. 

For the next chunk of time it’s just repeating the same maneuvers. Bailing, making sure the sails and masts are intact, and holding on to the ship for dear life. I don’t even know how long it takes for us to get out of the storm, but the sky gradually lightens up and the thunder takes longer to echo after the lightning. After what feels like a million years I gather everyone on the deck and together we heave a collective sigh.

“Well done, everyone,” I say, my voice hoarse from shouting all night. I glance at my friends, noting a few scratches and cuts here and there. “Any major injuries we need to be aware of?”

“I think I wrenched my ankle,” Matt says. “I can barely feel it.”

“Okay, have Coran look at that. Anyone else?” When nobody else responds I give a firm nod. “Right. Good work today, guys. Thank the gods no one died.”

A weary chuckle goes up from my friends, and Matt hobbles over to Coran so he can get his ankle checked out. The rest of us start untying our belays, Hunk gathering up the rope so he can put it back on the pins. He walks over to them and I’m about to head to my quarters so I can collapse when I hear him cry out in surprise.

“Lance!” Hunk cries, turning to me with a startled expression. “There’s someone floating in the water!”

“What?!” I rush over to him, followed closely by Allura and Pidge, and gaze over the side of the boat to see a body resting against a plank of wood, gently floating in the waves. “Crap, we have to help them. Hunk, hand me one of the lifelines.”

“No, let me,” Allura says, pushing me aside. “I’m the least hurt out of all of us. Let me go.”

I nod. “Right.”

Allura ties the lifeline around her waist and climbs over the side of the boat, taking a deep breath as she dives into the water. I know Allura’s a good swimmer, so I’m not particularly worried. Her head pops up after a second and I watch her make her way over to the person in the water. She grabs the plank and paddles back to the boat, her arm secured over the person’s shoulders so they don’t slip off. Hunk tosses Allura another lifeline, and she quickly fastens it around the person’s waist. Pidge helps Hunk pull the floater up, and I move to help Allura. After some grunts and groans, the two of them are safely on board.

“We should get Coran here,” Allura says, hugging herself to get warm. 

“I’ll fetch him.” Pidge heads below deck to get Coran, and I quickly grab a towel from my quarters to get Allura dry. She nods her thanks and I head over to Hunk to see how the straggler is doing. Coran joins us a moment later, his medical kit with him. 

“Alright, step aside, everyone,” Coran says, kneeling down beside the person and gently rolling them to their back. He checks their pulse, then bends down and holds his ear above the person’s mouth. “He’s not breathing. Hold on a tic.”

He? “Who is it?” I ask, inching around Coran to see the guy’s face. His hair is soaked and matted to his forehead, and with the color drained from his skin, it makes him look like a ghost. A large, old scar stretches from his right jaw up his cheek towards his eye, but tapers off before it reaches there. Coran starts giving compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and throughout his movements I can’t help but think the guy looks familiar somehow. When Coran moves away from the guy’s mouth and goes back to giving compressions, I study the man’s face to see if I can recognize him. Something about the shape of his face, the thick eyebrows, the curve of his nose . . .

And suddenly I feel like I can’t breathe.  My chest is too tight. The air is too hard to breathe. Is it actually who I think it is? There’s no way, right? But as I look at his face I just become more and more sure that it’s  _ him _ . I suck in a breath and take a shaky step back, barely feeling it when I bump into a barrel.

“Lance?” Hunk asks, placing a hand on my arm to steady me. “Are you alright?”

“I . . .” I can’t get the words out. I can’t think of what to say. What do I say? “I know him.”

Pidge’s eyes widen. “What? Who is he?”

I swallow, my throat entirely too dry. “He’s—”

He starts sputtering and coughing, heaving up mouthfuls of seawater onto the deck as Coran props him up and gently massages his back. The coughs grate against his throat, and I suck in another painful breath at the sound of them. It’s actually  _ him _ . He’s laying right in front of me. What should I say? What should I do?

But when his eyes open and he sees us standing over him, a panicked look flashes across his face and he struggles out of Coran’s arms, fumbling for his dagger and holding it in shaky hands as he points it at us. We all take a step back and he scrambles backward on the deck.

“Stay back!” he yells. His scratchy voice is like a spear to my chest, and I press my hand to it to try and ease the pain. “I’m warning you! Who are you people?”

“We’re just trying to help,” Allura says, taking a small step towards him.

He lashes out with the dagger, barely missing Allura’s leg, and she jumps back. “I said to stay back! Who are you and what have you done with my crew?”

I need to calm him down, and I think I’m the only one who can do that right now. I swallow again, my throat still aching for water, and steel myself against the inevitable backlash I’m going to receive. I step out from behind Hunk and walk over to him, watching as his gaze tracks my movement and eventually makes its way to my face. His eyes widen. Does he recognize me?

I crouch down so I’m level with him. This close to him I can see the bags beneath his eyes, and the color has yet to return to his face. I take the fact that he hasn’t sliced me open yet as a good sign. I look him in the eye and try to ignore the painful heartbeats in my chest. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Keith?”

Keith blinks. Something flashes across his features. “Lance?”

Crap, I can feel myself about to cry. But I clench my jaw and force myself not to. “Yeah. We found you floating in the ocean after the storm. My crew saved your life, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t wave your dagger around at them.”

Keith blinks again and glances around at my crewmates’ faces. He sheathes his dagger and swallows, facing me with a hard expression. “Well? What do you want with me?”

Right. I forgot that things are still like that. Keith still wants nothing to do with me, and it hurts just as much as it did the first time. But then the hurt turns to anger. Who does he think he is? We just saved his life! He could at least be a bit grateful! I stand up and glare down at him. “Nothing. I don’t want anything to do with you. But since I’m not heartless, you can spend the night in the hold. How does that sound?”

Keith’s face grows red. “What? I haven’t even done anything!”

“That’s not true and you know it!” I lash out, my blood starting to boil. “And unless you want to taste seawater again, you’ll take what I give you. Got it?”

“Lance, wait a tic,” Allura says, pulling me aside so our backs are facing everyone else. “What’s going on with you? He almost drowned. We should be showing him hospitality, not aggression.”

“I don’t care what he’s been through,” I growl.

Allura frowns. “Obviously you two have some unfinished business, but until that’s figured out, he’s a  _ person _ , like any one of us. He deserves the same treatment.”

Allura’s right. Allura’s right and I know it, but I can’t see past all the anger and hurt and confusion. Or maybe I don’t want to see past it. I click my tongue in frustration and sigh. “Fine. Get Hunk and Pidge to take him down to the orlop deck and fix him a place to sleep. And some food if he’s hungry. Dammit.”

Allura places her hand on my shoulder. “You’ll figure it out, Lance. I know you will.”

She walks over to tell Hunk and Pidge my orders, and I turn to see them help Keith to his feet. Keith gives me one last glare before heading down with them, and I sigh again. My anger’s starting to fade, leaving behind the same old pain I’ve always had when it comes to Keith. What am I supposed to do now that he’s here? How am I supposed to treat him? Obviously I can’t treat him like how we used to be. Keith ended things for a reason. But I also can’t be unfairly cruel to him. No matter how much I want to take my hurt out on him. 

Coran comes over to stand beside me. “Looks like you’ve got a lot going on with him, eh?”

“That’s an understatement,” I mutter.

“What happened?” Allura asks. 

For a second I consider telling her to piss off, but I know that I can’t do that. “We were best friends a long time ago. And then one day he just left. Said he couldn’t be friends with me anymore, and just took off running. Literally.”

Coran hums in understanding. “Sorry to hear that, Lance. But the good news is you two are together again!”

I frown at him. “We’re not ‘together’ at all. All he is to me now is the asshole who abandoned me.”

Allura’s eyebrows pull together. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No! I’m fine!” I snap, storming past her towards my cabin. Before I enter it I turn to her and shout across the deck, “I didn’t mean to yell at you! I’m sorry! I just need to be alone for a while!” I slam the door behind me and head down two levels to my sleeping quarters. Stupid Keith. Stupid Allura, being right all the time. No, she’s not stupid. Keith is stupid, though. I collapse on my bed and slip into an uneasy sleep, finally glad to be done with the day.

* * *

I wake up a few hours later and sit up in bed, feeling gross after having slept in my day clothes. I still haven’t cleaned off from the storm, and my hair is rumpled with rain and sea water. I sneeze and stand up, doing a quick stretch before heading up a level and using a wet cloth to at least rinse myself off. I get dressed in clean clothes and head outside to see the deck empty except for Coran, who’s whistling to himself as he stands at the helm. I walk up to him and lean against the rail.

“Morning,” Coran says.

“It’s the middle of the night,” I correct.

“Or just really early in the morning,” Coran replies, giving me a cheeky grin.

I roll my eyes despite my smile. “Right. How’s Matt’s ankle?”

“Could’ve been worse. He just needs to stay off it for a few days, and then do some exercises to help it get stronger.”

I nod. “Good. That’s good.”

“Keith is doing better, too.”

I bristle at the mention of his name. “I didn’t ask about him, did I?”

Coran gives me a pointed look. “No, but it was all over your face. Why don’t you just go down there and talk to him? He’s refusing to tell us what happened, you know.”

“What happened between me and him?” I ask, growing panicked.

Coran shakes his head. “No, no. I mean what happened to land him in the water in the first place. We still don’t know why he’s here. You should talk with him.”

I hesitate. “I don’t think he wants to talk to me, though.”

“You never know,” Coran says. “Talking about your problems is underrated, you know.”

I sigh. “Fine, fine. I’ll go down and talk to him.”

“Good luck!” Coran goes back to whistling, and I chuckle to myself as I walk away. I head down to the orlop deck, the second level from the bottom of the ship. The orlop holds most of our storage and supplies, but sometimes people come down here just to chill. It’s a good place to be alone with your thoughts, if you like being alone. If we had a bigger crew I’m sure some of them would end up sleeping down here, and it’s not generally a bad place to sleep. It’s just a step down from the general sleeping quarters. When I descend the steps into the lower level I see a lamp lit at the far end, no doubt where Hunk and Pidge set up a place for Keith to sleep. Damn. Even just thinking of talking with Keith makes my stomach roll with discomfort. Why did he show up now? I swallow and brace myself for the worst before walking over to him. 

“How are you feeling?” I ask him. He’s eating at a makeshift table made from a barrel and spare plank of wood. His hair is dry by now, settled into that mullet that I always made fun of him for, although it’s longer now than it was back then. 

Keith looks up at me as he takes a bite of his meal. “Fine. I was fine before you came along, too.”

Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna’ be, huh? My eyebrow twitches in irritation. “Really? Mr. ‘Would’ve Drowned at Sea if Hadn’t Have Been For Lance’s Help’? I’m sure you were  _ just _ fine before.”

Keith glares at me. “What do you want?”

The irritation prickles across my skin. “Well, for one, I want you to stop looking at me like I skinned your first born. I haven’t done anything to you, and you know it.”

Keith averts his gaze, and for a second I think I see an actual expression of regret on his face. But it’s gone in an instant, so I must be imagining it. “Yeah, well, you don’t know the half of it.”

Tch. What an asshole. “Whatever. I don’t want to know, since it’s probably a really stupid reason anyway.” But then Keith gives me a look filled with such anger and hurt that I blink in surprise. Did I do something to him back when we were kids? I don’t remember doing anything to make him dislike me this much. It makes me feel bad for saying that, but how am I supposed to know what he’s thinking? 

I sigh. “Anyway. At this point I just want you to go back to where you came from so I can get on with my life.”

Keith frowns and looks away, his grip tightening on his fork. “I would, if I could. But I lost my crew in the storm.”

“Shipwrecked?” I ask.

He gives a single nod. “Yeah.”

Oof, that’s rough. “Sorry.”

“I don’t need your pity.”

I clench my jaw. “Seriously, what’s your problem? Why do you hate me so much?”

Keith gives me that same look of anger and hurt, and it’s like someone’s twisting my gut. He doesn’t answer, and I can’t help wondering if maybe I really  _ did  _ do something back then. But I truly can’t remember. Did I offend him without realizing it? Did I do something to make it seem like I was abandoning or betraying him? I can’t for the life of me figure it out. 

Finally, I sigh. I’m tired of this. “Look, whatever happened back when we were kids, I—”

“You don’t know anything, do you?” Keith mutters, turning his gaze back to his food. “All this time, and you still don’t know.”

“How can I know if you don’t tell me? I’m not a mind reader, Kogane!” I huff. “Anyway, you want to get back to your crew, right?”

Keith nods. 

“Okay.” I think for a second. Part of me doesn’t want Keith to go, even though he’s been treating me horribly since seeing me again. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but Coran’s words echo back to me. Maybe if Keith and I talk about what happened back then, we can work through it. And maybe, just maybe, we can be friends again. It’s too much to hope for, isn’t it? Especially with Keith shooting daggers every time he looks at me. But then an idea forms in the back of my head, and a grin forms on my face.

“What?” Keith asks. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because I just figured out what I’m going to do,” I say, placing my hand on the table and leaning forward. Keith’s eyes widen and he leans away from me, looking sufficiently uncomfortable. “I’m going to help you find your crew. But in exchange, you’re going to help me find a treasure map.”

Keith’s jaw drops. “What?”

“You heard me,” I say, leaning in closer and enjoying the look of distaste on Keith’s face. “You’re going to help me find the remaining six pieces of a treasure map, and I’ll help you find your crew.”

“Are you crazy?!” Keith demands, shoving me away and standing up. “There’s no way I’d help you do that!”

I shrug. “Fine. Then we’ll just drop you off at the nearest town. No money, no boat, and no crew. Poor baby Kogane.”

His face grows red and his jaw clenches. “McClain, I swear to the gods I’m going to fight you every step of the way.”

I laugh. “Go ahead! It will take us that much longer to find your crew.”

“Y-you!”

“Well?” I prompt, extending my hand to him. “From friends to enemies, and enemies to business partners. What do you say?”

Keith’s face is still red as eyes my hand, and when he looks back up at me I swear I can hear him cursing me in his head. After a beat he huffs. “Fine. But don’t think I like this, McClain.”

He takes my hand in his, and I shake it once. “Believe me, I never thought that. Welcome aboard The Blue Lion, Kogane.” 


	2. Keith Upstages Me . . . Again

“I’m telling you, stopping for supplies now would be a waste of time!” Keith yells. “Don’t you know  _ anything _ about sailing?”

“I know more than  _ you _ do, Mullet-Head!” I snap, stepping closer to him. “Don’t forget, this is  _ my _ ship, and you’re just a freeloader!”

“ _ What _ ?!” His face scrunches in anger. “You’re the one who took me aboard, McClain! So if you don’t like it, just drop me off at the nearest town and I’ll be on my way.”

“Well if we stop at the nearest town then we can get supplies, so it’s a win-win situation, isn’t it?”

“Great!”

“ _ Fine!” _

I whip around and storm off, heading back to my cabin and ignoring the bewildered gazes of my crewmates. The door slams behind me and I stand in front of my desk for a second just fuming. I pace back and forth, desperate to get rid of this foul energy following me around. Ever since Keith’s joined it’s been nothing by fighting, arguing, and bickering. Keith challenges me at every opportunity, questioning my decisions and mocking my skills. He even tried to tell me I was using the wrong rope.  _ Rope! _ As if I don’t have bigger issues to worry about!

I hear the door open and turn to see Allura closing it after her. I heave a rough sigh and fold my arms. “I don’t wanna’ hear it, Allura. Not today, at least.”

“You two have been like this for quite a few days now,” Allura notes, her tone neutral. “So when would you like to hear it?”

I groan and mess with my hair. “Uggghh, I can’t stand him, Allura! He’s always trying to get a rise out of me, and for what? The tenth argument this week? I should never have made that deal with him!”

Allura tilts her head and gives me a knowing look. “But you did. Part of you wanted him to stay, right?”

“But I didn’t think it’d be like  _ this _ ,” I complain. I plop down in my chair and hold my head in my hands. My anger is starting to fizzle out, leaving behind confusion. “I just don’t understand why he hates me so much.”

“Have you asked him?”

“Of course,” I answer. “More than once. He just glares at me or yells at me to leave him alone.”

Allura is silent for a beat. “Do you want to make up with him, Lance?”

Damn, Allura always knows how to get straight to the heart of things. My stomach clenches. “I don’t know anymore. I miss how we used to be. But there’s too much water under the ship.”

“Under the bridge, you mean.”

“Yeah, whatever. Keith clearly doesn’t want to move on, and whatever I did to make him so upset is still with him. So I don’t see why I should try.”

“You should try because you miss him, don’t you?” Allura says quietly.

I don’t know how to respond to that. I don’t even know my own emotions at this point. I know I miss how Keith and I were as kids. I know that it hurts to think of not being friends with him, and it makes me angry to see Keith blatantly question my choices. But I don’t know if any of that means that I want to be friends with him again. Especially if Keith doesn’t want that, he’ll probably just end up leaving me again. 

I sigh and ruffle my hair again. “I don’t know. I’m just tired.”

Allura looks worried, but she just gives me a quick smile. “Alright. Should we head for the nearest town, then? Or continue towards Olkarion?”

The worst part about fighting with Keith is that he’s right a lot of the time. “Keep course for Olkarion,” I grumble.

She chuckles. “Got it. I’ll let Pidge know.”

But before she can move I feel the ship come to an abrupt halt. Allura stumbles back a bit before recovering her footing and gives me a startled glance. I stand up and head out to the deck with her to be greeted by similar expressions of worry on my friends’ faces.

“What’s going on?” I ask, heading up to the helm with Allura behind me. “We weren’t supposed to stop.”

Pidge tries to turn the steering wheel, but it’s stuck in place. “I-I don’t know. I think something’s caught on the rudder.”

“Are you sure?” Allura asks. 

Pidge nods and swallows. They try moving the steering wheel again, but a groan sounds from the wood and they stop. “Something isn’t right. There’s no reason the rudder should just be stuck like this. It was fine when Hunk last inspected it.”

Footsteps pound on the quarterdeck, and I glance below to see Keith with a frantic expression on his face. “Everyone, get inside! Now!”

“What?” Hunk says. “Why?”

“Just do it!” Keith yells, his voice catching.

“Don’t yell at my crew, Kogane!” I tell him, giving him a glare. He looks up at me with that same frenzied expression, and my eyebrow twitches in irritation. “If this is your way of trying to escape, then—”

My words are cut off when the boat lurches to the side, throwing everyone to the starboard side of the ship. I slam into the railing, groaning in pain, but before I can stand up the boat is jerked to the other side, earning a bruise on the other side of my body. I cough and grab onto the railing to hoist myself to my feet, glancing down to see Keith holding on to the bottom of the main mast while Hunk and Coran struggle to stand up. 

“Kogane, what—,” I say.

“I told you all to get inside!” he yells, his face shrouded in anger. “Unless you know a better way to deal with sea serpents!”

“Sea serpents?!” Coran cries. “Well, I’ll be a knackered mantis shrimp!”

“This is no time for countryisms, Coran!” Allura says.

“Sorry!”

The boat shudders again, and my grip tightens on the railing. I try to remember the last time I dealt with a sea serpent, but unfortunately my experience in that department is lacking. I close my eyes and think of what I’m supposed to do. If it’s a sea serpent, I have to make it show its head, right? And then I poke it between the eyes? No, that’s sharks. I think I have to cut off its head, but what if two more grow back? Or is that just with hydras?

Whatever. What matters now is making sure my crew is safe. I keep hold of the rail as I stand to my full height. “Okay, everyone, listen up! Hunk, work with Coran to start bringing in the sails. Pidge, get the cannons and guns ready. Matt’s still in the infirmary so we’ll have to deal without him. Allura and I will try to bring this thing’s head to the surface.”

“Right!” everyone replies. 

“No, that’s not right!” Keith yells. 

I follow Allura and Pidge down to the quarterdeck, glaring at Keith as I pass by. “Just stay out of the way, Kogane. I can handle this.”

“You’ve got no idea how to deal with sea serpents, do you?” he says. “You’re gonna’ get us all killed!”

“I know what I’m doing!” I snap, a flash of fear going through me at Keith’s words. I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I don’t want Keith to get a hold of this situation and upstage me. “I know what I’m doing.”

Everyone gets to work on their tasks as fast as possible. Coran, Hunk, and a reluctant Keith work together to pull the sails in, and Allura and I run over to the side of the boat to see if we can see the serpent beneath the water. We can see something clearly moving under the waves, but its movement is causing foam to froth on the surface, obscuring our view. We’re still stationary, though, so the thing must be big enough to hold on to us and move around at the same time.

I clench my jaw. “Is there any way to bring it up?”

“I’m not sure,” Allura replies. “Serpents aren’t my area of expertise.”

_ They’re Keith’s, though.  _ I shut off the voice in my head and reach for my gun. “Well, let’s see if ammunition will do something.” I fire a few times into the water, even though the rational part of my mind tells me it won’t do anything. Bullets move slower in the water, so if the creature is farther down it won’t get hit.

Nothing happens, and I steady myself against the boat’s movement. “We need something stronger.”

“Pidge, how’re the cannons looking?” Allura asks.

“They’re ready!” they reply.

“Good.” Allura and I walk over to the cannons and I help Pidge angle one of them towards where the serpent’s body is most likely to be. “Okay, go ahead and light this one.”

Pidge does so and we plug our ears as the cannon fires. Almost immediately an unearthly shriek sounds beneath the water, echoing up the boat and vibrating at a frequency that makes everyone cringe. I keep my hands on my ears, waiting until the shrieking goes away, but then the boat careens to the right and I get thrown to the deck. 

“Great, now it’s upset!” Coran cries, his arms fully wrapped around the mast.

“I’m trying!” I yell, standing back up and grabbing another cannon to angle it down. “Pidge, light this one as well!”

Pidge takes their hands away from their ears and gives me a flabbergasted look. “Are you crazy?! That thing’s just gonna’ get more pissed off!”

“We might be able to kill it if we keep hitting it!” I insist. “Come on!”

Pidge opens their mouth to reply, but they stop as a shadow rises from the water. I look over at it and feel my heart plummet to the floor. “Holy mackerel.”

The first thing I notice is its teeth. With a grotesque eel-like head, its mouth is full of teeth that are a bit too big for my liking. Each of its fangs is at least as tall as me, and those are just the smaller ones. Two long antenna stretch from its eyebrows to well below its jaw, and each one of them seems to move on its own. Its scales ripple with different shades of purple and blue, and if I weren’t about to die then I would marvel at how pretty they are. But right now the only thought going through my head is “crap”. 

The serpent lets out another ear wrenching screech and lifts its tail, slapping it on the water so the ship gets thrown into a wave and spins out of control. I can hear everyone screaming around me, but all I can do is concentrate on not getting tossed off the deck. I squeeze the rail so hard my hands go numb, and when the spinning stops I glance up to see my crewmates holding their heads in their hands. I hear something moving in the water and when I whip around I see the serpent heading straight for us, its spiny fins sticking up above the surface. It breaches the water, rising up again with its tail by its side. A satisfied hiss streams from it, as if the creature knows that it’s won. Dread and fear form a cold knot in my stomach. What have I done? 

But before the serpent can bring its tail down on the boat a shot rings out from behind me. I turn around and Keith’s standing there, his gun in his hand. He clicks the lock into place and fires again, sending the serpent into a fit of rage. It brings its face down to the deck, aiming to close its jaws around him, but at the last moment Keith jumps up onto the creature’s head and draws his sword. He grips one of the serpent’s antenna in his free hand and, in one swift movement, drives the tip of his sword into the serpent’s eye. Another screech rips from the serpent’s mouth, and it thrashes around as Keith holds on for dear life. 

I should help him. I should absolutely, definitely do something to help him. But for some reason I can’t do anything. I’m paralyzed, helpless to do anything except watch as Keith takes down a sea serpent pretty much one-handed. And as I’m watching him the thought occurs to me that Keith looks ridiculously cool.

“Come on, guys, we have to help him!” Coran yells.

I blink and shake myself out of the trance. “Right! Everyone, grab your guns and fire!”

My crewmates roar their approval and join me at the ship’s port-side rail. We all draw our guns and start firing, making sure to steer clear of Keith as he continues to do damage to the serpent’s head. The monster jerks every time a bullet hits it, and fluorescent green blood soon starts to ooze from its various wounds. Keith, somehow still holding on, jabs his sword into its other eye, and the serpent shakes its head so violently that Keith gets thrown in an arc over the boat and splashes into the sea. 

“Keep firing!” I tell my crew. I run to the other side of the boat and lean over the side, my shoulders relaxing with relief when I see Keith’s head pop up above the water. I quickly throw him a lifeline.

I glance back at the sea serpent, feeling even more relieved when it starts sinking into the waves, its blood dying the water around it a murky green color. My friends start letting out cheers, and I help Keith back up into the boat. Something about him is different. Not just that he’s shivering and soaked from head to toe. Something about him is different, and I can’t stop looking at him.

“Keith, that was amazing!” Hunk cries, running up to squeeze him in a tight hug. 

“I’ll say,” Allura agrees, a broad smile on her face. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone wrangle a sea dragon before.”

“How did you know what to do?” Pidge asks.

Keith coughs as Hunk sets him back down. “My crew and I have dealt with dozens of sea monsters. I knew what was happening as soon as the boat stopped, but  _ someone _ didn’t want to hear it.”

Everyone turns their gazes to me, and I feel my face heat up. “W-well, it’s not like I  _ knew _ that. If you’d told me, then I could’ve, uh, listened, or something.”

Keith raises an eyebrow at me, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. “Really? Mr. Lance ‘Stay Out of The Way’ McClain would’ve listened?”

Oh, man, there is nothing that I’d rather do right now than knock that stupid grin off of Keith’s face. I open my mouth to deliver a stinging retort, but I’m so flustered that I can’t think of anything.

Luckily Coran saves my ass. “Well, if we ever run into a sea monster again, we’ll be sure to ask you for help!”

“Definitely,” Allura says. “Thank you, Keith.”

Keith gives her a brief smile. “It was no problem.”

Seeing Keith smile at Allura makes my stomach feel weird, and I let out a frustrated huff as I storm back to my cabin. My body feels weird all over, like an itchy feeling across my skin that I can’t get rid of. It feels similar to the times I feel restless, when I have too much energy that I don’t know how to get rid of. But in this case it’s related to seeing Keith and Allura getting along. Just recalling Keith’s smile makes my stomach flip again, and I groan as I sit down at my desk. Why can’t I ever have a normal interaction with him? 

_ I can’t be friends with you anymore. _

Oh yeah. Because of  _ that _ . I lean back in my chair as the now familiar feeling of pain fills my body and constricts my chest. There are so many questions in my head, ones that I’m too tired to resist. Why does Keith hate me? Why can’t I remember if I did something to him or not? Why did he end things in the first place? How does he feel about me now? What is his life like now? What kind of adventures has he gone through, what kind of travels has he made? What is his crew like? I want to know so many things about him, and . . . I want to be friends with him again. That longing makes my chest tighten further, and I have trouble taking a breath. Damnit, Keith. What happened to you?

* * *

I take in the sight of Olkarion as the ship pulls into one of the empty docks. It’s a fairly large city, with a large agricultural population and specialties in medicinal herbs and elixirs. The sun is just overhead, beating down on us and making me wish it was winter. It only took us a few more days to get to Olkarion, faster than I thought originally, and Keith and I were at each other’s throats the whole time. It’s like each time I see him I can’t help but get pissed off.

I face my crew with my hands on my hips. “Okay, guys. Allura and I will head in to see if we can find Rolo, and Keith will come with us to get some info on his crew. Any requests from the city?”

“We might need some more ammunition,” Matt says. His ankle is almost fully healed by now, and he feels well enough to walk around the ship on his own.

“And some rope too,” Hunk adds. “The sea serpent kind of hurt the ship a bit.”

“I wonder whose fault that was,” I hear Keith say, and I turn to give him a look that I hope says, “shut up or I’ll gut you”. He just folds his arms and looks away.

“Alright. Rope, ammunition. What else?” I ask.

“Try not to get sidetracked, okay?” Pidge says, a naughty grin on their face as they look between me and Allura.

My face heats up and I can’t bring myself to see Allura’s expression. “Enough, Pidge. We’re leaving now, okay? Let’s go.”

Keith gives me a look from a questioning expression as I pass him, like he’s trying to figure out something. That  _ something _ being a thing I don’t really want Keith to know about. It doesn’t sit right with me if Keith were to find out, for some reason. I climb down the ladder and jump off, landing on the dock and waiting for the other two to follow. We head towards the city, with Keith lagging a bit behind as Allura and I talk about the plan. We stop every few steps to let Keith talk to one of the locals, but so far no one’s seen anything.

“Hopefully Rolo won’t turn out to be a bad guy,” Allura says. She hands a shopkeeper a few coins in exchange for some more rope. “It’ll be especially bad since we don’t have everyone with us.”

“I don’t think things will come to that,” I say. Keith scoffs, and I turn to him with a scowl. “You have something to say, Kogane?”

“Yes,” he replies. “You’re naive if you think everything will go smoothly. You’re almost as naive as when—” Keith cuts off, closing his mouth abruptly. 

I frown. “As when, what? As when we were kids? I thought you didn’t want to talk about that, since every time I ask you just tell me to go away.”

Keith’s eyebrow twitches as his eyes narrow. “Whatever. I’m just saying you’re a bit of an idiot if you think Rolo will just hand the map over without some kind of deal.”

“Don’t call me an idiot,” I growl, taking a step towards him. “I’ve been a pirate just as long as you have.”

“Um, guys?” Allura says.

Keith jerks his head up so he's looking down his nose at me. “And yet you had no idea how to deal with the serpent, did you?” 

“Ugh, enough with the serpent, already!” I snap. “I would have been able to handle it if you weren’t so obsessed with showing me up all the time!”

“Oh, so it’s  _ my _ fault, now?” Keith yells.

“Yeah, it is!” I yell back.

“GUYS!” I jump a bit, turning to see Allura with a fed up expression on her face. “If you two children don’t shut up and learn how to play nice, I’m sending one of you back to the ship.”

“What?” Keith and I say together, which only pisses me off more. 

“You heard me,” she says, standing her ground. She actually looks angry, which is one of the few times I’ve seen her like that. “Can we actually do what we came here to do?”

Damn, she’s right. I’m still ticked off, but I take a deep breath and let it out to try and dispel some of the anger. “Yeah. Sorry, Allura.”

“You’ve always been like this, so I’m used to it.” Allura waves it off. “But since you two used to be friends, you should at least  _ try _ and be friends again.”

“That’s not happening any time soon,” Keith mutters, and I feel a bolt go through my stomach. Wow. So Keith really hates me that much? I mean, I guess I should have expected it, but hearing it said out loud makes it seem more real.

I clear my throat and try not to think about that. “Yeah. Well, let’s just move on.”

“Why don’t we split up for a bit?” Allura suggests. “Lance and I will look for Rolo, and Keith, you can ask around for your crew. We can cover more ground that way as well.”

Keith gives a single nod. “Fine.”

“We’ll meet back at the ship at sundown,” Allura says. “Lance, let’s go.”

“Right.” I follow her down the street, pausing to quickly look back at Keith. He’s looking at me as well, but when our eyes meet he frowns and turns around to walk away. Another jolt of pain flashes through me and I wince. Allura and I walk in silence for a bit, and I can sense she’s giving me time to gather my thoughts, which I appreciate. I just don’t know how to put everything I’m feeling into words. We keep asking shopkeepers if they know someone named Rolo, but after a lot of blank stares I’m starting to feel defeated.

“I feel like . . . like there’s a huge gap between us,” I say as we walk away from another clueless trader. “And I have no idea how to fix it.”

“It’s not all your fault, Lance,” Allura replies. “I think Keith either doesn’t want to put in effort, or he feels like he can’t for some reason.”

“Yeah, he can’t because he doesn’t want to be friends with me,” I mutter. “That’s probably enough reason for him not to try.”

“You know what I mean,” Allura says.

“But if that’s the case, then why does he feel like he can’t?” I ask. “I’ve given him so many opportunities to talk to me, and he just . . . doesn’t.”

Allura is quiet for a moment. “Maybe he feels like you wouldn’t understand?”

I shake my head. “That doesn’t make sense. We were best friends for  _ five years.  _ We knew everything about each other. At least, I thought we did.”

Allura places her hand on my shoulder, and I’m thankful for the gesture. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for his behavior. After all, he wouldn’t leave so suddenly if it weren’t for something important.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Everything will be alright. These things have ways of working themselves out.”

We continue throughout the streets, checking back alleys for more shady-looking vendors. Our shadows continue to get longer, reminding us of the time crunch, and I’m just about to call it quits and head back to the ship when someone steps out from an alleyway to stand in front of us. He’s a pretty tall guy, with a desert hat on his head and bandages wrapped around his waist. A vest sits snugly on his shoulders, but it’s one of those vests that is deliberately small so that the guy’s chest is bared. I blink a few times, trying not to get distracted. To put it mildly, he’s hot.

“I heard you were looking for me,” he says, one hand on his hip as he gives an easy smile.   

A long piece of . . . something sticks out from between his teeth. I can’t tell if it’s grass or wheat or something else. But it adds to his look in a way that makes me swallow. Crap, he’s definitely hot. Get it together, Lance. “Th-that depends. Are you Rolo?”

His smile widens. “The one and only. I got word that two people dressed like pirates were looking for me. And lo and behold, here you are.”

Allura takes a step forward. “If you are indeed Rolo, then we’re looking to do business with you. Do you mind taking us somewhere we can talk?”

Rolo shifts his weight. “Not at all. Why don’t y’all follow me and I’ll take you back to my shop.”

I exchange a look with Allura. This is good, right? We found the guy we were looking for, and with plenty of time to get back to the ship. If all goes well, then we should be able to meet up with Keith on time. Allura and I follow Rolo down the street, taking twists and turns that make it so that I have no clue where we are in the city. Eventually, we end up in front of a door in a small alley. Rolo knocks a specific pattern and after a pause the door swings open. An equally tall and good-looking woman stands before us, her blonde hair tied in two high ponytails. 

She gives us a big smile and gestures for us to come in. “Welcome, welcome. A friend of Rolo’s is a friend of mine.”

I don’t want to correct her, but the pair’s behavior is starting to make me feel uncomfortable. Allura and I take a seat around a table in the center of the small room, with the woman and Rolo joining us soon after. I subtly pat my pocket, making sure the map piece is there. I’m going to need it soon if things are going to progress.

“Why don’t we start with introductions?” Rolo suggests. “I’m Rolo, and this is my partner Nyma.”

Nyma gives us a little wave. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Lance, and this is my quartermaster, Allura,” I reply. “We’d like to talk with you as quickly as possible, since we have another place to be soon.”

Rolo lifts an eyebrow. “In a rush, eh? Well, that’s normal in this kind of business. What can I do ya for?”

“Do you know someone by the name of ‘Unilu’?” Allura asks.

Rolo lazily scratches at his chin, his wheat/grass piece bobbing. “Hm, can’t say that I do. Sorry.”

I sigh inwardly. I know this type. I take out the map piece and place it on the table, making sure to keep my hand on it. “Well, how about this: have you heard of Voltron’s Trove?”

Rolo’s demeanor changes. He leans forward, and his gaze is no longer slightly bored and amused. Instead it’s like he’s staring right through me, and I suppress a shiver. “‘Unilu’, you said? Yeah, I think I remember. What about him?”

“He said he got this map piece from you,” I say, “and that there are six other pieces out there. I’d like to know where the other pieces are.”

Rolo doesn’t say anything for a brief moment, but for me the moment lasts at least a few years. I still can’t get a good read on him, and the way his demeanor changed like that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. I need to be careful. Finally, Rolo chuckles. “Alright. You wanna’ know where the rest of the treasure map is, right?”

I nod. “Yes.”

“We can pay you as well,” Allura adds, just like we agreed earlier. 

Rolo just smiles and stands. “We can talk about payment later. I can show you where one of the pieces is, though.”

Allura and I stand as well, and I take a step towards him. “Really?”

Rolo nods. “Of course. Follow me.” He waves goodbye to Nyma before leading us out to the streets again, this time taking the main roads so that we end up in the slums of the city. I’m not particularly bothered by slums, since I spent most of my youth there, but I can’t help feeling like Rolo’s up to something. I lightly bump Allura with my shoulder, and she returns it. We’re both on guard. Rolo takes us through the slums until we’re standing before a fairly large shack. It’s not as damaged as the rest of the area, but I still take a look around before following him inside. It’s more spacious than it looks on the outside, and from what I can see there’s nothing here but barrels and crates.

“The map piece is here?” Allura asks, her tone wary.

“Yes,” Rolo replies, giving us another easy smile. “But unfortunately, not for you.” Almost immediately something blurry aims for my head, and I raise my arm to block it at the last second. Before I can register what’s going on something slams into my legs, and the world spins around me as I fall on my back.

“Lance!” Allura cries. The sound of fighting fills the room, and I try to get myself to my feet as fast as possible. I blink and shake my head to get rid of the dizziness, my gaze refocusing to see Allura in hand-to-hand combat with Rolo.

“You tricked us!” I snarl. I run around to Rolo’s other side, aiming a kick towards his ribs that he blocks with his forearm. He dodges Allura’s strike and kicks out with his leg so that it hits me in the stomach, and I grunt as the breath leaves my body. I stumble to the floor, desperately fighting to get my breath back. I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe. Rolo aims a jab to Allura’s neck and she cries out before slumping to the ground. Damnit, I have to get up! But my lungs are still working to recover, and my stance is shaky when I get to my feet.

“Relax, Lance,” Rolo says, coming over to sock another punch into my gut. Pain wracks my body and I hunch over, heaving and wheezing. I need to breathe I can’t breathe  _ I can’t breathe.  _ “Allura’s not dead. And you’re not gonna’ die, either. You two are just gonna’ take a nice, long nap.” 

“You . . . bastard,” I huff. Rolo disappears from my line of sight, but I feel his arm secure around my neck a moment later. I immediately realize what he’s doing, and I use all my strength to struggle against his grip. But I can’t stop him. I’m too dazed from not having enough air, and Rolo’s too strong. His arm presses against my throat and black spots dance in my vision. No, no, no, no,  _ no. _

“Sleep, Lance,” Rolo’s voice echoes around in my head. I . . . can’t . . . breathe. “I’ll take it from here.”

* * *

The first thing I notice when I wake up is the ache that throbs all over my body. I groan and open my eyes, taking a look around to see that I’m in some kind of closet. The space is really small, and I probably wouldn’t be able to stand up to my full height if I tried. The next thing I notice is that my hands are behind my back, and an experimental tug confirms that they’re tied.

“Lance, you’re awake?” Allura croaks. Her back is against mine, and her hands are bound behind her as well. 

“Yeah,” I reply, my voice just as hoarse. “How long have we been here?”

“I’ve no clue,” she says. “I only just woke up as well.”

I curse under my breath. “Damn, we messed up. It’s probably night time by now. Keith’s gonna’ wonder where we are.”

“In the meantime we have to find a way out,” Allura says. She strains against her bonds, moving around in the space as she tries to get rid of them. After a beat or two she sighs in defeat. “No good. They’re too tight.”

I groan again and slump forward so my forehead is resting on my knees. “This is all my fault. If I didn’t want that stupid treasure so badly then we never would have been in this situation.”

“It’s not stupid, Lance. And besides, you’re not the only one who wants to find it. Everyone on the crew does, too.”

“Thanks,” I mutter. “Even if you’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

We sit in silence for a while, and my eyes adjust to the light so I can make out our environment a bit better. I was right in that we’re stuffed in a closet. There are slats higher up on the door so that a little bit of light trickles in. I can’t see anything through them, though, so they’re pretty much useless. There’s nothing else in the closet besides us, and we’ve been stripped of our weapons. We have no way of getting out unless Rolo decides to let us go. 

“Do you think Keith will come for us?” Allura asks quietly.

“I doubt it,” I reply. “He doesn’t know that we’re here, anyway.”

“He knows who we were looking for,” she says. “He could find us through that.”

“Well, if he  _ does _ find us, I’ll take it as a sign that I should be friends with him again.”

Allura chuckles. “Since when have you been superstitious?”

“I’m not. I just think the chances of Keith coming to our rescue are so slim that it’s worth betting something stupid on it.”

“That’s just your way of saying you want to be make up with him.”

I pout as embarrassment heats up my cheeks. “Whatever.” 

The sound of a door opening has me and Allura on full alert. Then a familiar voice comes to us from outside, and I start bristling. 

“Nyma, you stay here with the two captives,” Rolo says. “Since they’re the captain and quartermaster, their crew is likely to be on the lookout for them. We can get them to pay us nicely in exchange for the two.”

“Bastard,” I mutter.

“I’ll head into town and check my sources for word of Lance’s crew. It won’t take long,” he continues.

“Got it,” Nyma replies. 

Footsteps sound towards us, and when the closet door opens I squint against the harsh light. Rolo stands above us, a smug grin on his face. “Nice to see you’re both back to your senses.”

“Let us out of here, Rolo,” I demand. 

“Not a chance,” he says, feigning regret. “You guys are stuck here for a while.”

“Why go to the trouble of blackmailing our crew, anyway?” Allura asks. “You’ve got our map piece already.”

Rolo crouches down so that he’s level with us. “Well, having another map piece is great, but having gold is even better. Having gold will let me commission a ship and a crew so that I can find the rest of the map. After all, Voltron’s Trove is the stuff of legends.” 

I struggle against the rope, itching to lunge out and punch him in the face, but before I can retort I hear someone knocking on the door. Rolo stands up and glances at it with a frown. “Nyma, can you get that? Tell them we’re not open.”

Nyma gets up and heads for the door. “Sorry, we’re not—WAH!”

I hear her fall to the floor and, at the same time, the sound of splintering wood makes me wince. Rolo sprints over, leaving my line of sight. I try to lean out to see what’s going on but if I lean any more I’ll fall over. Fighting sounds fill the room, metal clashing against itself and dull thumps of someone getting hit. 

“What’s going on?” Allura asks.

“I don’t know,” I reply. “I can’t see anything.”

Rolo cries out in pain, and I hear him slump over as well. Footsteps head toward us and I brace myself for who it could be. But when the person appears in front of me, my eyes widen in disbelief.

“Keith!” I cry.

He’s breathing hard, and his bangs are stuck to his forehead with sweat, but at that moment I couldn’t be happier to see him. “You guys really  _ are _ idiots, huh?”

“How’d you find us?” Allura asks. 

Keith crouches down and uses a dagger to start cutting into her ties. “When you guys didn’t show up I started asking around for Rolo. Someone told me his shop was here, and I heard him telling his friend about holding you two hostage. So I decided to step in.”

Allura’s ropes snap off and she stands up. “Thank you, Keith. We were at a loss.”

“I bet.” Keith moves to start working on mine, but for a brief moment he hesitates. He has a faraway look in his eyes, like his mind is somewhere else.

“Keith?” I prompt.

Keith blinks and frowns, giving an almost imperceptible shake of his head before pulling on my ropes and cutting into them. When his hand brushes against mine a strange shock goes through me and I jolt a bit. 

“Sorry,” Keith mutters.

“It’s fine,” I murmur in response. I glance at Keith, but his gaze is locked on my wrists, almost like he’s trying not to look at me. The air around us suddenly feels different, like it’s charged or something. It feels like tension, but different somehow. It’s more weighted, more expectant. I swallow, suddenly all too aware of how close I am to Keith. And why does my throat feel so dry? 

The rope drops away and Keith stands up, turning away from me. “There. Now let’s head back to the boat so we can leave.”

I rub my wrists as I stand up, still trying to understand what kind of atmosphere I just experienced. “Were you able to find out anything about your crew?”

“No,” he replies, still not looking at me. “I didn’t find anything.”

Keith walks away, stepping over Rolo’s unconscious body on the way out. Allura bends down to search Rolo’s pockets, giving me a grin as she comes up with two map pieces instead of one. 

I sigh. “Alright. Two down, five to go.”

* * *

The moon is full, casting a bright light over the ship as it pulls through the water. I adjust the wheel every so often, checking my compass to make sure we’re on track. The coast is in sight, just as a point of reference until we reach the next location. Once the three of us returned to the ship we were flooded with questions, but Keith ignored everyone and headed straight for the stairs to the lower levels. He hadn’t looked at me once the entire trek back from Rolo’s shop, and he hadn’t spoken much either. Something was definitely up with him, but I couldn’t get much from him if he wasn’t saying anything. Pidge and Hunk had been especially amused by the fact Keith had been the one to save me and Allura, and I had tried not to let my embarrassment show on my face.

Footsteps sound on the deck below, and I glance over to see Keith coming up from the stairs. Keith looks up at me and frowns, but instead of turning away he joins me at the helm, leaning against the starboard railing. I’m not quite sure how to act around him anymore. I don’t know whether to be angry or indifferent or something else entirely, and the weird tension between us earlier didn’t help. There’s enough space between us now for me not to feel anything, but it doesn’t make it any less awkward.

I decide to say something first. “Thanks again for saving me and Allura. I don’t know what I would have done in that situation if you hadn’t shown up.”

“Are you and Allura a couple?” he asks.

I look at him with wide eyes. That certainly came out of nowhere. And it’s the thing I didn’t really want him to know about. But his expression is serious, and I feel inclined to answer. I clear my throat. “No. We were for a while, but it didn’t work out so we decided to stay friends.”

“Oh.”

I can’t tell what kind of expression he’s wearing. “Why do you ask?”

Keith locks his gaze with mine for a second before he looks away. “I noticed how you guys act around each other. I guess I was curious.”

There it is again. That weird, restless feeling that wraps around me and makes me want to do . . . something. It’s a directionless urge, and I have no idea what it means or why I’m feeling it. “Allura’s my best friend. She knows me better than anyone, which is probably what you saw.”

Keith’s gaze locks with mine again, and this time surprise flashes across his face before changing into something like disappointment. “I see.”

Oh. I realize what I just said. If Allura’s my best friend, that means Keith’s been replaced. I feel bad for saying that, but then I get a bit pissed off. Keith’s the one who abandoned me, not the other way around. Replacing him was inevitable. Right?

I’m about to say something in my defense when Keith suddenly stands up straight and runs over to the other side of the sterncastle deck. “Wait. McClain, head inland!” 

“What?” I question. “Why?”

“Just do it, Lance!” Keith gives me a desperate look and something bolts through me. I nod and turn the wheel all the way the left so the ship starts changing direction. Keith rushes down the helm’s steps and runs to the forecastle deck, getting as close to the front of the ship as possible. I see him pace back and forth, his gaze never leaving the coast. Within a few minutes, we’re close enough that I can see the beach. Large jagged rocks stick up from the water, and there’s only a small strip of sand before steep cliffs block it off. 

“Keith, we can’t go any farther!” I call to him. I turn the wheel so our ship can be parallel with the beach, and Keith dashes to the starboard bower anchor to start lowering it. I leave the helm and run across the quarterdeck to help him, and after one anchor is dropped we rush to the port side to lower that one as well. 

As soon as the ship has stopped moving Keith moves towards the ladder, but I block him off. “Hey, wait. You can’t swim in these waters with these kinds of rocks.”

“Lance, let me go,” Keith says. “I have to go down there.”

“Why? What’s going on?” I ask.

Keith curses and hastily runs his hand through his hair, but he looks more pained than angry. “This is where my ship was wrecked. I need to get down there.”

I set my jaw. “Okay. Let’s take a longboat.”

Keith blinks. “What?”

“You heard me,” I say, moving around him and grabbing one of the longboat’s ropes. “It’ll be safer that way.”

He frowns. “You’re coming with me?”

“Of course.” I give him a hard look. “This is about your crew, after all.”

Keith’s expression firms as well, and he nods. “Okay.” 

Keith and I lower the longboat into the water and climb down the ladder to get settled in. His face is scrunched in desperation, and I work with him to row as fast as we can. We row over to a safer part of the shore, and as we drag the boat onto the sand I can see how tense Keith is. As soon as the boat is secure Keith takes off, and I push off the sand to follow him. We reach the part of the beach that’s overrun with jagged rocks, and in the moonlight I can see the remnants of Keith’s ship. A huge chunk of it is impaled on a particularly large crag. I swallow at the sight. What happened to them? It must have been during the storm, but it’s one thing to hear about a shipwreck and another thing to see it with my own eyes. A sense of unease makes me shiver.

Keith slows down as we weave through the rocks, stopping every now and then to tear through the wreckage. I can hear his breathing get more and more agitated until they start to resemble sobs. He rounds another rock and stops dead in his tracks. He takes a few shaky steps forward and falls to his knees, and I walk around to see him looking at a piece of clothing stuck on a plank of wood. The clothing was at one point a shirt, but it’s so torn it’s hardly recognizable.

Keith reaches out and gently takes the shirt, gripping it in his hand. He hunches over on the sand, cradling the shirt to him as a choked sob leaves him. My chest tightens as I see him grieve, my heart aching as I hear him let out another muffled sob. It hurts to see him in so much pain. I sit down next to him and place my hand on his back, hoping he’ll accept my comfort. He doesn’t move away, but his sobs grow more anguished. We stay like that for a while. Keith, mourning the loss of his crew, and me, desperately wishing I could make all of this go away. 

After a bit, Keith sits up and drags his arm across his eyes. He doesn’t look at me as he stands. “We need to find their bodies.”

“What?” I say.

“We need to find their bodies, and give them a proper burial,” Keith continues. “I don’t care if it takes me all night.”

I stand up as well. “Okay.”

It takes us nearly an hour to search the surrounding area for any sign of a body. My eyes are starting to close towards the end, but I force myself to stay awake so I can help Keith. In the end, neither of us has found anything.

“Is it possible they were in the water?” I ask. 

Keith shakes his head. “Why would they be in the water if I found all their clothes and belongings on the beach?”

There are lots of reasons. But I don’t want to voice them and add to Keith’s despair, so I keep quiet. We continue looking for a bit longer, but finally Keith walks over to me with a determined expression on his face. “If their bodies aren’t here, they must still be alive.”

I frown. “How can you be sure?”

“I’m not,” he replies. “But I choose to believe they made it. I’ll keep looking for them, even if it takes the rest of my life.”

Without waiting for my response Keith heads back to the longboat, leaving me staring at his back. The sight of him walking away gives me that restless feeling again, but this time it’s accompanied by a sense of admiration. It may be foolish, and Keith might be setting himself up for heartache, but I admire his ability to believe in his crewmates and hold on to hope. As I take a step to follow him I make a promise to myself. I’m going to make up with Keith and help him find his crew, no matter happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 2! I don’t have much to say about it other than that i was not expecting this chapter to be this long ^^’ also i'll be updating on wednesdays as well! i have more time to work on this fic than i thought, so i can update more frequently. anyway, enjoy!


	3. Role Reversal

“Okay, guys,” I say. “We have two of the map pieces so far. We also have no idea where to look next.”

Everyone is gathered in the navigation room. The room is a level above my quarters, making it ideal to hold meetings and keep a watch on what’s going on outside as well. A large table sits in the middle of the room, with more than enough space for everyone, and I have a few maps and charts spread out on the table. The map pieces to Voltron’s Trove are there as well, although there’s not much we can make out of them yet.

“Did you hear Rolo say where you could find the next ones?” Matt asks.

Allura shakes her head. “No. We were also a bit preoccupied, given he held us hostage.”

“But we managed to get a second piece off of him,” I continue, “so now we need to figure out where to go next.”

“Any news about your crew, Keith?” Coran asks. All heads turn to Keith. He’s standing in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms folded like he’s trying to be cool. Ugh, I could get irritated just looking at him. 

Keith shakes his head. “Nobody in Olkarion knew about them, but I think they’re still on the continent. They couldn’t have gotten far after the storm.”

Keith flashes me a quick glance before looking away. Since going down to the wreck site yesterday Keith has been weirdly quiet around me. He doesn’t scowl when he sees me anymore either. Instead he just looks at me with a blank, yet strangely unreadable expression. I can never tell what he’s thinking, and he never looks at me for more than a second. I’m just glad he’s stopped picking fights at every opportunity. It makes it easier for me to try and be friends with him. I don’t know how I’m gonna’ do it, but I’m determined to make up with him. Even if it’s just being on speaking terms, that’s better than nothing.

“Wait, how about we visit Romelle?” Hunk suggests. “If anyone can tell us the next steps, it’s her.”

“Good idea, Hunk. We can also ask her about Kogane’s crew,” I say.

“Who’s Romelle?” Keith asks.

“She’s an old friend of mine,” Allura replies, a warm smile on her face. “She’s well versed in maps and trading, so she should be able to help.”

Keith just gives a single nod. I wonder what he’s thinking about right now.

I tell Pidge to set a course for Renmouth, Romelle’s town, and soon we’re on the way there. Pidge keeps the coastline in sight, which is helpful. They let me know that we’ll be there within a day or two, and after Hunk prepares dinner for us I head to bed. There’s not much else to do today anyway.

* * *

_ I’m running. I’m running to try and keep up with him. But no matter how fast I run it’s like he’s always faster than me. The distance between us never gets smaller. _

_ “Keith, wait!” I cry. I’m a teenager again, feeling the same dismay and pain that I felt back then. “Just tell me why!” _

_ Keith stops in his tracks, and I finally manage to catch up with him. He turns to me with a face devoid of emotion. His eyes are dull and lifeless. “Don’t follow me, Lance. I told you already. I can’t be friends with you.” _

_ “But why?” I ask. I take a step towards him but the world around me floods with water, sweeping me up and throwing me beneath the surface. I look up towards the light, extending my hand as I try to reach him. “Keith!” _

_ “It’s your fault,” he murmurs. His distorted voice echoes around me. “You’re the one who did this.” _

_ “No!” I protest. The pressure from the water is starting to weigh on my chest, and I start to fill with panic. “Keith, help!” _

_ “I’m sorry, Lance. What’s the point of saving someone who couldn’t even save our friendship?” _

I gasp as I come to, sitting up in my bed and breathing heavily. The sheets around me are damp, and when I press my hand to my forehead it comes back sticky with sweat. I swallow and grimace. I hate having nightmares. It’s not the first time I’ve had one like this, but it’s the first time in a while I’ve had a nightmare about Keith. I sit on the edge of my bed and hold my head in my hands. Is Keith right? Did I really do something to him that I don’t remember? I don’t know. I can’t think straight right now.

I change my clothes and bed sheets, but I don’t feel like sleeping anymore. Some fresh air will probably be good for me, so I put on my coat and head outside. I close the door behind me and start to head up to the helm, but some movement catches my eye and I stop. Keith’s standing there by himself. His arms lean against the rail of the main deck, and his hair moves in the slight breeze. For a second I consider going back inside, since I don’t really wanna’ deal with Keith right now, but something in his expression nags at me. Standing there by himself, occasionally lifting a cup to his mouth . . . something about it seems kinda sad. So I heave a sigh and, against my better judgment, walk over to join him.

Keith glances at me from the corner of his eye but doesn’t say anything. I lean my back against the rail and keep my gaze fixed on the deck. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he replies.

“What are you thinking about?” I ask.

Keith takes a sip before answering. “My crew. What they’re doing, where they are, if they’re even alive.”

That’s right. It makes sense for him to be thinking that, but for a moment I forgot that he’s only with us because he’s looking for the people he lost. I don’t really know what to say, or if I should say anything at all. “Oh.”

Neither of us says anything for a while, but my mind races ahead of me. I start getting those thoughts again. The ones that wonder where Keith has been all this time, why he’s changed so much since then, and why he left in the first place. That’s probably the question that’s bothering the most. 

“Why did you leave?” Shit, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. But instead of getting angry, Keith just sighs. Maybe it’s just because it’s dark, but suddenly he looks much too old and worn out. “What happened to you?”

Keith finishes his drink and sets the cup down on the deck. “Nothing. I grew up. You change when you get older, you know.”

I start to get that restless feeling again, the need to do something with my energy even though I don’t know what it is. I also start to become a bit too aware of Keith’s presence and my proximity to him. I’m not even standing that close, but the distance pushes and pulls at me at the same time. I wait for him to continue, but he just stares out at the sea. Whatever’s going on with him, it’s clear I’m not going to get an answer tonight. I’m about to call it quits and leave when he chuckles.

“Do you remember when we stole that barrel of pickles from Mr. Smithson?” he asks, and I think I can see the faintest of smiles on his face.

My mouth twitches in a smile of my own. “Yeah, that was awesome. The look on his face when the pickles spilled everywhere was priceless. I thought he’d have a heart attack!”

Keith chuckles again and ducks his head. “We were something else, huh?”

My smile melts. “Yeah. We were.”

Keith looks over at me with a tired expression. After a long silence he sighs. “I don’t know what you want me to say, McClain.”

“The truth, for starters,” I mutter. “Why did you leave? We were best friends one day, and the next . . . you just left. Why?”

There’s a weird look on Keith’s face as he gazes out into the ocean. It’s pinched and sad and vulnerable, and I wonder if the truth is something Keith is ashamed about. It takes him a bit to answer. “I guess I was scared.”

“Of what?”

Something crosses Keith’s face and for a second I think he’s gonna’ tell me, but he just heaves another rough sigh and runs his hand through his hair. “Nothing. It was nothing.” 

He bends down to pick up his cup and walks away from the rail, and I follow him with my gaze as he heads down to sleep. I consider going after him, but I don’t have it in me tonight. Instead I’m just . . . sad. I turn to look at the sea and press my hand to my chest. Damn, it hurts. I don’t want to admit it, but it hurts. Even after all these years, it’s still painful. Why won’t Keith tell me what happened? There was a time when he was closer to me than anyone I’d ever met. Our relationship had been special, in a way that I couldn’t describe. I just knew that I couldn’t stand to be without him. And then he left.

I ruffle my hair and click my tongue in frustration. Whatever. If Keith doesn’t want to tell me why he left, I’ll just have to deal with that. However painful that may be.

* * *

When we reach Renmouth I take Coran, Pidge, and Keith with me into town. Hunk gives me a list of groceries to bring back, but apart from that, there’s not much we need. Renmouth is different from Olkarion. It’s more laid back, with wider streets and not as many shops. I think Renmouth would be a nice town to live in if I ever get sick of living at sea.

“I’m excited to see Romelle again!” Coran says. Coran and Pidge walk in front of me, and Keith lags a bit behind me. “I haven’t seen her in a long time.”

“How did she and Allura meet?” Pidge asks.

“Oh, they’ve been friends since they were kids,” Coran answers. “They would play together all the time, practicing sword fights, pretending to be pirates, and other things that gave Alfor heart attacks.”

I chuckle. “That sounds like them.”

“Have you met Romelle before?” Keith asks.

“Yep, a few times,” I say. “She’s really cool, and she knows all this stuff about maps and trading that I have no clue about. She’s got a huge network of people she knows.”

We reach Romelle’s shop a few minutes later. She runs an all-purpose shop towards the center of the city, and there’s a long line of people waiting outside when we arrive. I exchange a glance with Pidge, who shrugs. The line goes down pretty quickly, though, and when I walk up to the counter Romelle gasps and runs around, tackling me in a huge hug.

“Lance!” she cries. She pulls away, a big smile on her face. “It’s been too long! What have you been up to? Is Allura with you guys?” 

“She stayed on the ship this time, but she says hi,” I tell her, smiling as well. 

“What, you can’t ask about me?” Coran gives an exaggerated pout. “I’m hurt, Romelle.”

Romelle laughs and gives him a hug as well. “It’s good to see you, Uncle Coran.”

“And you haven’t met Pidge, yet, right?” I ask her.

She looks over at Pidge and gives them a friendly smile. “Nope! Nice to meet you, Pidge.”

“Likewise,” Pidge replies. “Do you really know everything about navigation? Could I ask you some questions about it? Even though I’m a sailing master there are still so many things I don’t know.”

Romelle chuckles. “Of course! Why don’t you all come in? I’ll close the shop for a second so we can talk.”

We head inside, and I notice how distant Keith is keeping himself from everyone. He just follows us to the table and takes a hesitant seat between Coran and Pidge, while I sit next to Romelle.

She glances at Keith. “And, you are?”

“Koga–I mean, Keith, is . . . traveling with me,” I reply. It’s probably not accurate to call Keith a friend just yet. “Actually part of the reason we’re here today is because he’s lost his crew and we were wondering if you could help.”

Romelle nods. “Of course. Why don’t we start with that? Tell me about your crew.”

Keith flashes me a quick look before answering. “There are five other people in my crew. They’re all pretty tall.”

Romelle blinks. “Could you give me more of a description?”

“My quartermaster, Shiro, has a scar across his nose and black hair with a tuft of white in the front. Adam, his husband and my boatswain, wears glasses and has messy brown hair. My gunner, Ulaz, has tattoos all over his body and has a buzz cut mohawk. Kolivan, my sailing master, is—”

“Okay, I’m gonna’ stop you right there,” Romelle says. “I can say right now that I haven’t seen anyone like you’ve described.”

Keith frowns. “But I haven’t finished telling you about them.”

“Even so, I’m sure I would remember a tall person who looks like a pirate. They’d probably be asking about you as well, right?” 

Keith looks away. “Yes, that’s true.”

“Sorry, Keith,” Romelle adds. “If I see anyone like that I’ll be sure to get a message to you somehow.”

“Thank you.”

I should ask Romelle about the treasure map, but seeing Keith’s face makes me feel bad about moving on so quickly. Even though he wears that same neutral, albeit slightly pissed off, expression that he always has, he looks sad. My stomach clenches. I don’t like seeing him sad.

“What else can I for you guys?” Romelle asks. 

I shake my head. I need to focus. “What can you tell us about Voltron’s Trove?”

Her eyes widen. “Only that it’s the most sought after treasure in the whole world. So many people have tried to find it and have failed, though I’m not sure if it’s because it doesn’t exist or because it’s just hidden so well. Why?”

“We found a treasure map to lead us there,” Pidge says excitedly. 

“Well, part of it,” Coran corrects. “It’s been split into seven pieces.”

“Do you have the pieces on you?” Romelle asks. I nod and bring them out from my pocket, placing them on the table. Romelle lets out a long whistle of admiration. “Wow. I never thought I’d see something like this.”

“Is it authentic?” Keith asks.

I glance at him. “Huh?”

“If you’re going to be chasing a legend, you might as well make sure the map you have is credible,” Keith says. “Otherwise you’re just wasting time.”

I grunt. “Well, thanks for worrying, Kogane.”

Keith’s eyebrow twitches. “I wasn’t worrying, McClain. I just don’t want to get dragged around for months on end while you delude yourself and your crew into believing something that isn’t real.”

I bristle and lean forward. “Are you saying Voltron’s Trove isn’t real?”

Keith leans forward as well, his eyes narrowing. “I’m saying it’s never even been proven. You’re just fooling around.”

“Hold on, you two,” Coran says, holding out his hands to us. “Why don’t we ask the map expert and see what she has to say? I swear, you boys are like kids sometimes.”

I let out a slow breath and try to hide the chagrin that sears my face. “Whatever.”

Romelle clears her throat, an amused look on her face. “Well, I can’t say for sure since there’s only two pieces of the map here, but so far it looks genuine. That being said, I actually know of a place that’s been rumored to hold a map to Voltron’s Trove.”

My eyes widen. “Really? Where?”

“Wait here a tic.” She gets up and heads into a separate room, and I hear her rummage through something. She comes back with a map rolled in her hands. “Here.”

She unfurls the map and splays it on the table. It’s a map of an island, with the coordinates written in the upper left-hand corner. I blink. “This island is in the middle of the Devil’s Vortex. Are you seriously suggesting we go  _ there _ ?”

“The Devil’s Vortex?” Pidge repeats. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The Devil’s Vortex is a deadly area of coordinates in the middle of the sea between the two bigger continents. Something about the weather conditions in that area make it so that there’s a perpetual storm hanging over it, and ships have been repeatedly lost there. One of the first things I learned as a sailor was to stay away from that place.

“I’m pretty sure there’s a way to navigate through there safely.” Romelle brings her hand to her chin as she thinks. “I just have to remember it.”

“Regardless, going through the Devil’s Vortex is a definite no-no,” I say. “What even is this place, anyway?”

“It’s an island home to a witch by the name of ‘Haggar’,” Romelle explains.

“Oh, I’ve heard of her!” Coran says. “She’s rumored to be able to tell you anything you ask, but it comes with a price. Something about revealing part of yourself.”

Pidge snorts. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not particularly interested in  _ revealing _ myself to a witch.”

Coran grins. “If anything, you might have to  _ bare _ your soul to her.”

I giggle. “Yeah, she wants the  _ naked _ truth.”

Coran, Romelle, and Pidge burst out laughing, and I glance at Keith. He’s looking away, but his hand covers his mouth and his shoulders shake as his face reddens a bit. My chest swells with delight and I laugh as well. Seeing Keith laugh makes me happy. I like making him laugh.

Romelle wipes at her eyes as she starts to calm down. “Well, regardless of what you might need to do, I know that this place is real. I’ve met people who’ve been there before, which is why I’m pretty sure there’s a way you get through the Devil’s Vortex. Let me check my books.”

She gets up and goes back to the separate room, and Coran clears his throat. “We’re not  _ really _ gonna’ go to the Devil’s Vortex, are we? I’d sooner shave my mustache than go to a place like that.”

“I’m with Coran on this one,” Pidge says. “The Devil’s Vortex is really dangerous.”

I’m not sure how to proceed. On the one hand, I really really  _ really _ want to find this treasure. On the other, I don’t want to risk my crewmates lives for the sake of something that might not exist. I glance at Keith to see him looking at me as well, though he shifts his gaze to the table when our eyes meet.

“What do you think, Keith?” I ask him.

He looks up at me again with a slightly surprised expression. “Me?”

“Yeah. What do you think?”

He’s quiet for a bit, and his gaze bores into mine. “I think it’s worth the effort to try. Not just because of the treasure map, but if Haggar can really answer any question you ask, I’ll be able to find my crew.”

“That’s a good point,” Coran mumbles, and even Pidge looks conflicted.

Romelle returns with a couple of maps and books in her hands, and she drops them on the table. “Right. Here’s everything I have on navigating the Devil’s Vortex. Feel free to take them with you, as long as you see to it that I get them back.”

“Thanks, Romelle,” I say. “This helps a lot.”

Romelle gives us a satchel to hold the materials, and after a bit of catching up we head out. We still need to get the groceries Hunk asked us for, and by the time we leave Romelle’s shop the sun hangs low in the sky. We quickly get the groceries and start heading back to the ship. I talk with Coran and Pidge about our plans for the Devil’s Vortex, and about what we’ll need to buy to be prepared. By the time we reach the docks the three of us agree to spend the night here so we can pore over the materials. 

“Okay, let’s head back up,” I say, handing Coran and Pidge a grocery bag each. “You’re gonna’ have to pull your weight too, Kogane.”

But when I turn to give him the bag he’s not there. “Keith?” I turn in a circle, scanning the crowd for that mullet I know so well. “Keith!”

“Where did he go?” Pidge asks. “He was right behind us when we left Romelle’s shop.”

“Dammit!” I spin around again, but I don’t see him anywhere. I yank the satchel strap over my head and shove it towards Coran along with the grocery bags. “I’m gonna’ go look for him!”

“Wait, Lance!” he protests. But I’m already taking off running, retracing our footsteps so I can find him. My feet pound against the stone, with the words “no, no, no” repeating in my head over and over in time with my steps. I glance down every alleyway I pass, and my panic grows more erratic by the second. He can’t be gone, he can’t be gone, he can’t be gone. Where is he?

I round a corner to head down another street, and as I pass by a dark alley something catches my eye. I slow down and double back to it, trying to ignore the way my heart threatens to burst out of my chest. But then my heart plummets when I see Keith’s head bob as he’s lifted onto someone’s shoulder. His eyes are closed, and there’s a strip of cloth around his mouth so he can’t talk.

“Keith!” I cry. I sprint up to the person carrying him, who takes off as soon as I get close enough. They dash through the alley, and I push myself to keep up with them. They’re taller and buffer than me, giving them extra speed and strength as they turn left out of the alley. I follow their path, keeping Keith in my sight. But the person is too fast and I’m too drained, and I’m starting to lag behind them. No, no, no!

Desperate, I pull out my gun and come to a stop, aiming carefully so I don’t hit Keith. I click the lock, steady myself, and let the shot ring out, satisfaction rushing through me when I hear their yell of pain. They crumple to their knees, and I reach out to Keith as I dash over to them. When I get close enough I can see the person is a woman with short, hastily cut black hair and a scar running down the right side of her face. My bullet hit her in the calf, and she grimaces and curses as she covers the wound with her hand. Keith is still over her shoulder, and he’s almost entirely swaddled in rope. Blood roars in my ears as anger sparks in my stomach.

“What are you doing with him?” I demand, pointing my gun at her.

“None of your business, dick,” she swears, shooting me a look of hatred. “And if you don’t wanna’ join him, you’ll lower your gun.”

“Not a chance,” I growl, clicking the lock into place again. “Now, what do you want with him?”

“I’ll be the one asking questions here.”

I whip around, instantly on guard when I see that I’ve been surrounded. The person in front of me is a guy just as tall as Keith’s captor, with slightly tanned skin and long white hair tied in a low ponytail. Three other women stand around me, and each of them is just as tall and well built as the last. I swallow. Great job, Lance. How are you gonna’ get yourself out of this one?

I face the man, pulling out my sword and aiming it towards him. “Who are you people? What do you want with my friend?”

“It’s not your friend we’re interested in,” he replies, taking a step towards me. I ready my sword, but the guy just smirks. “We’re interested in the map.”

I blink. “Map?”

“You have to know what we’re talking about,” a woman with long red hair braided in a high ponytail says. “Don’t tell us you’ve suddenly forgotten.”

“If you’re looking for maps, there’s plenty of shops around here that can help you with that,” I say, gesturing with my sword in a wide radius so none of them comes near.

The man narrows his eyes and takes another step towards me. He draws his own sword, leveling it with mine. “You know, you’re really not being smart. We’ll give you your friend back if you give us the map to Voltron’s Trove.” 

Damn. What can I do in this situation? I’m outnumbered, Keith isn’t in any shape to fight, and I ditched Coran and Pidge when I ran after him. I curse myself in my head for not thinking rationally. The best thing to do right now is to give these guys the map pieces and get Keith back.

I sigh, putting my gun and sword away. “Fine. I’ll give you the map pieces I have. But you have to let my friend go first.” 

The guy smirks. “Fine. Go get him.”

I keep my eye on the man as I step around the woman I shot. I hoist Keith off her shoulder and onto the ground. I can’t undo his ropes when I’m surrounded like this, but I reach into my coat and place the map fragments on the ground in front of me. 

“There. You have your pieces,” I say. “Now leave us alone.”

The guy’s grin grows bigger. “Fantastic. But unfortunately, that won’t be happening.”

“What?!” I cry.

I stand up and reach for my sword, but something jabs me in the back and I let out a cry of pain. I spin around to see the woman with all her hair slicked away from her face except for the bangs on the left side. She aims a punch for my head but I duck, moving to her instep and landing my own punch to her gut. She grunts and takes a step back, but before I can move my arms are yanked back by the other two women, sending pain shooting through my shoulders. I struggle against them and kick out, landing a kick in Hair Slick’s jaw and earning a furious gaze from her. The women holding my arms shove me to the floor, and against their combined strength I’m no match. They plant my face to the ground and I hiss when pain scrapes my skin. 

The man walks around so he’s standing above me and flashes me a satisfied grin. “Well, that was certainly fun. But the fun ends here. We’ll be taking the pieces and your friend. I’m sure he’ll do well as a servant.”

Panic rushes through me. “No!”

The guy just chuckles and gives a nod towards Hair Slick. “Acxa, knock him out.”

“Yes, Lotor.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and brace myself for impact, but when I hear Acxa cry out I open my eyes to see Allura pulling her hand back from a punch she just delivered to Acxa’s jaw. The weight on my back disappears, followed by grunts of pain and sounds of people fighting. I scramble to my feet and my eyes widen when I see the rest of my crew fighting with Lotor’s. Allura locked in combat with Acxa, Coran taking on a woman with a hood over her face, Hunk and Pidge doubling up against Scar Face, and Matt evading Ponytail’s movements like it’s second nature. 

Something catches my eye and I turn to see Lotor swinging his sword at me. I jump back and draw my own, blocking a strike from above. He steps back and thrusts towards my left side. I sidestep and switch hands, making it harder for Lotor to hit my unguarded side. His features darken in anger and his attacks grow more frantic. As I block his thrusts I keep tabs on my crew, who seem to be winning their fights. Lotor lunges for my right side. I catch his sword against mine, turn away from my left hand, and deliver a kick to Lotor’s ribs. I hear the breath leave his body and he falls to his knees, wheezing as he tries to recover.

I glance up to see that my crew have won their respective fights, with the opposition having run away or been knocked out. I pry Lotor’s sword out of his hand, and he doesn’t have the strength to resist. I level the tip of my sword with his face and nod towards Pidge. They get my meaning and jog over, searching Lotor’s pockets and humming with satisfaction when they come up with the stolen map pieces along with one extra. 

“You . . . won’t see . . . the last of me,” Lotor growls.

“For both our sakes, let’s hope that isn’t true,” I say, sheathing my sword and tossing his aside. “Unless you want to get your ass beat again.”

Lotor tries to stand but Allura steps forward and socks him in the gut, sending him into another fit of gasping. I leave Lotor and rush over to Keith, who’s still out cold. Luckily he doesn’t seem to be too badly hurt, and relief threatens to overwhelm me. I undo his ropes and pick him up bridal style, cradling his head against my shoulder as I adjust my grip. 

I face my friends. “Let’s head back. We’ve got the pieces, and I don’t want anything more to do with these guys.”

Everyone mutters their agreement and we make our way back to the ship. I try to carry Keith the entire way, but now that everything’s okay my energy drains out of me. Coran and Hunk take turns carrying Keith, and when it comes time to get back on the ship Matt heads up to lower the plank. Coran moves Keith to the infirmary, and I head down with him to take a seat beside Keith. I watch with heavy lids as Coran dresses Keith’s wounds, and by the time he’s finished I can barely keep my eyes open.

“You should get some sleep, Lance,” Coran says, standing up as he prepares to leave. “Keith’s safe now.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” I say, forcing a smile. “I’m gonna’ wait for him to wake up.”

Coran smiles in return. “Alright. Call me if you need me.”

“Thanks, Coran.”

Coran walks away, leaving me and Keith alone in the infirmary. Looking at Keith’s sleeping face, I feel . . . well, I don’t even know what. Restless? Yes. Relief? Definitely. But there’s also something else I can’t identify, a warm, comforting feeling that spreads across my chest and makes me sigh. Keith’s eyes flutter open, and I sit up straight in my chair. Will he be angry that I’m here? Will he be upset that I had to rescue him? Will he tell me to leave? I sincerely hope not. 

But when he looks over at me his face relaxes, and the corner of his mouth pulls up in a small smile. “Looks like it was your turn to save me, huh, McClain?”

Hearing his hoarse voice suddenly makes me realize how close I came to losing him today, and the relief floods over me so that tears well in my eyes and slide down my cheeks. I look down at the bed covers as they bunch in my hands.

“Why are you crying?” he asks. 

“I’m j-just so relieved,” I hiccup, unable to stop myself from crying now that I’ve started. “I thought they’d taken you.”

Keith hesitates. “But . . . why do you care?”

I snap my gaze to his. “You idiot! I’ll always care about you!”

Keith’s eyes widen and something flashes across his features. He blinks a few times before looking away. “I thought you hated me.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely mad at you,” I say, sniffling and wiping at my eyes. “But my being mad at you is conditional. Caring about you isn’t.”

Keith slowly meets my gaze but doesn’t say anything. For a moment we just look at each other, and suddenly I’m hyper-aware of my surroundings. The way the chair feels beneath me, the sound of the waves hitting the sides of the ship, the faint smell of herbs in the room. I’m too aware of the fact that my heart rate picks up, and the fact that Keith is, uhh, really good looking. Was he always this good looking?

I blink and the moment breaks, making me realize that we’ve just spent the past few seconds looking at each other. I clear my throat and glance away. “Well, I’ll leave you to rest. I have a crew to captain, after all.”

Keith swallows. “Right.”

I head out of the room, all the while trying to understand why my heart is beating so fast and why I feel so anxious. I never used to be this way around Keith. Even when Keith first showed up I didn’t feel like this. So why am I starting to get this way? Why can I remember the way Keith’s face looked when I told him I cared about him? I shake my head and try to dismiss the thoughts. It’s probably just because I thought I wouldn’t see him again, and my emotions were heightened. Yeah, that’s probably it. Not to mention I still don’t know why Keith stopped being friends with me in the first place, and even just thinking about it makes me feel bad. I sigh and head back to my room, looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i wonder what lance could be feeling???? Hopefully he wont be such a dummy this time ;)) please comment and let me know what you think! :D


	4. Storms, Sirens, and Other Things That Piss Me Off

I let out a deep breath as the storm clouds on the horizon crackle with thunder. The warm wind pulls at my clothes, and I know it’s only going to get stronger from here on out. This place is no joke. It took us about two weeks to get to the Devil’s Vortex, and aside from fending off a fairly weak sea monster, we haven’t run into much trouble. It almost felt like the sea was holding off from provoking us, knowing that we were headed for the most dangerous part of its waters. I swallow as thunder rumbles across the sky again. This is it. We could turn back at any point, but I know we have to do this. For my sake, and for Keith’s sake too.

From what my crew and I could gather from Romelle’s materials, the best way to get through the Devil’s Vortex is to simply let the storm take you wherever it sees fit. Of course, since we have a specific destination it’s not going to be that easy, but most of the books agreed not to fight the storm’s will so as not to get destroyed. Strangely enough, a lot of the books seemed to view the vortex as if it were a living creature. I decided not to dwell too much on that.

At the sound of footsteps, I glance down to see that my crew has gathered below. Allura leaves the others to join me at the helm. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I reply. “I feel like we’re still missing something, though.”

“That’s probably a given, considering what we’re getting into,” Allura says. “We’ve prepared all we can.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Following the books’ orders, we’d replaced our regular sails with more durable storm sails, moved our heaviest cargo to the hold, and stowed any loose goods in barrels or crates. The weight at the bottom of the ship would help to make sure we don’t capsize, and having smaller items put away would prevent them from flying everywhere. 

“Listen up, everyone!” I call to my crew, and they look up at me. “We’re only a few hours away from the Devil’s Vortex. If you want to sleep or eat something, be sure to do it now. I’ll alert everyone when it’s time.”

“I can take watch, Lance,” Matt calls. “You’ve been up there for almost the whole day.”

I blink. Have I? “That’d be good, thanks. I’ll leave you to it.”

I leave the helm, glancing over my shoulder as Allura waits for Matt to join her. The two strike up a conversation, and I grin to myself. I wonder what those two could be talking about. I head down to the galley with Hunk, Pidge, and Coran, and the four of us eat a filling meal together as we talk about meaningless things. I can’t help but wonder where Keith has gone, and what he’s up to. As soon as I finish my meal I put my containers away and go look for him.

I find him sitting in the navigation room, reading one of the books Romelle gave us. He looks up when I open the door. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he says. 

I close the door behind me and join him at the table, sitting a few seats away. “What are you reading?”

“A book about the witch, Haggar,” Keith says.

“Anything we need to know?”

Keith turns a page. “Coran was right about a couple of things. She can answer any question you ask her, but you have to reveal a part of yourself in return. Apparently something about the island exposes the ‘deepest reaches of your heart’.”

“Huh? Hell, even  _ I _ don’t know the deepest reaches of my heart. How is an island supposed to do that?” I ask.

Keith’s mouth twitches. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been there.”

I keep my gaze on him as he keeps reading. I haven’t been able to interact with him as much these past couple of weeks, mostly because of the time I sat next to Keith in the infirmary. Why did I start reacting the way I did? I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve stayed up more than a few nights replaying that moment in my head, trying to figure out what exactly I’d been feeling. Whenever I saw Keith after that, I’d remember that weird feeling and get nervous. The weird feeling hasn’t disappeared, but it’s shrunk to the point where I can have a normal conversation with him. Although for some reason I still think he’s really good looking. 

“Hey,” Keith starts, and I sit up straight, “why do you wanna’ get this treasure so badly?”

I give him a broad smile. “I just really like gold.”

Keith glances at me and frowns. “But you can get gold anywhere. Why Voltron’s Trove?”

I force myself to keep the smile. “Because it’s the coolest, isn’t it? And if I’m going to become a world-renowned pirate, then I’ve got to be able to show I’m capable of it.”

“But that can’t be your only reason,” he insists, setting the book down.

“Why not?” I deflect, starting to get angry.

“Because it’s shallow,” Keith replies, his eyes narrowing. “The McClain I know isn’t—”

“The  _ McClain _ you know?” I repeat, my emotions boiling to the surface. “The McClain you know is from ten years ago,  _ Kogane _ . The McClain I am today is someone you haven’t even tried to get to know,  _ Kogane. _ Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a ship to run.”

I storm out of the room, trying to ignore the look on Keith’s face. Frustration, grief, and pain mix inside me to create a whirlwind of emotions that I am in no way equipped to handle. I head straight for my cabin, slamming the door and breathing hard. My hands are curled tightly into fists, and I clench and unclench them as I try to get myself to calm down. My anger overwhelms me, tightening my throat and blurring my vision. I choke back a sob and lean forward against my desk, my palms flat on the surface. I hate this so,  _ so _ much. I hate how just a few words from Keith can make me so emotional, and I hate how I let it get to me. Even though I want to be friends with him so badly, I still can’t forget how much pain I’m in. I can’t forget how hard it was to survive without him, how it ate at me every day. Gods, I miss him. The pit in my stomach swirls and writhes. He’s right in front of me, and yet I can’t reach him. No matter what I do, I can’t reach him.

I stand up straight and drag the heel of my palms across my eyes. This is not the time to be crying about Keith. I need to keep my head on straight so I can navigate through the Devil’s Vortex. I lightly smack my cheeks a few times and head back outside. The storm will be on us soon.

* * *

“Hunk, Coran, start bringing in the back sails! Matt, make sure the lifelines are secure! Pidge, Allura, and Keith, keep the water off the deck!” I command.

I can barely hear the chorus of responses from my crew. If I thought the last storm was bad, this one takes the cake. Ten-foot-tall waves crash over us every few minutes, and the thunder and lightning drown out all the other sounds. The rain is sharp and relentless, keeping everyone soaked to the bone and showing no signs of letting up. The storm sails seem to be holding up, but making sure the back sails are furled ensures the ship doesn’t get too thrown off course. The current takes us in too many directions, and I can barely keep my eye on where I’m supposed to be going. I know the coordinates of Haggar’s island. And I know we’re supposed to be traveling east by northeast. But a quick glance of my compass makes me understand why so many ships get led astray. The needle spins erratically, slowing down at some points and speeding up at others. How am I supposed to know where I’m going like this?

I keep a firm grip on the wheel as the boat leans too much portside, and I glance over to see Keith slowly making his way towards me on the stairs. “McClain! We’ve got trouble!”

“What?” I cry. 

“Sirens! They’re surrounding the ship!”

What? I look down to the quarter deck to see shimmery figures of women climbing onto the boat as my crew bunch together in the middle. The sirens’ bodies are made of water, and they glow with an eerie blue light. One of them reaches out to Coran, and I watch with wide eyes as he melts in her arms, trying to grab the water and bring it closer to him.

“Damn!” I curse. “I’m not immune to sirens. Hunk and Pidge are, but I don’t know if they can get rid of them all.”

Keith hesitates. “I-I am! I’m immune to sirens.”

I blink. “Okay! Go down and help them!” 

He nods and takes off as fast as he can, stumbling as the boat breaches over a particularly large wave. I take my hands off the wheel for a second, untying my lifeline and wrapping it a few times around my waist. I loop it through the wheel as well, knowing how tricky sirens can be, and I tie it off with a constrictor hitch so it’s as secure as can be. Another looming wave rises from the left, and I hold my breath as it falls over the ship. I open my eyes after a moment to see two sirens making their way towards me, and my heart plummets. 

Sirens are a real pain to deal with. They’re able to lure away anyone who’s attracted to women, and the only way to resist them is if you use earplugs made from candle wax, aren’t attracted to anyone, or are only attracted to men. I’ve only dealt with sirens a few times, and I definitely don’t have the proper tools on me right now. I squeeze my eyes shut as they inch closer, but I can feel my body going numb as their singing floats around me and pulls me to them. Being under a siren’s influence is a weird experience. You lose feeling in your body, and it’s like you can’t control your actions anymore. Your mind is still intact, though, so you get front row seats to your body making dumb, embarrassing decisions. 

My hands leave the wheel and reach for one of the siren’s faces. My fingers slip through the water, and the siren giggles as she moves back. I hear myself say something like, “come back here” and take a few steps towards them. The rope from the wheel pulls me back, and I watch in helpless dismay as my hands start to slowly untie the knot. Damn you, stupid body! I need to be at the wheel so our ship doesn’t get torn apart! Where are Keith, Hunk, and Pidge? 

Almost as soon as I think that, the siren in front of me bursts apart. The water loses its glow and pools on the deck, and I blink to see Keith standing in front of me with a wax-slicked dagger in his hand. Perfect! The wax repels the water, and the sirens can’t reform! His gaze refocuses on something over my shoulder, and he pushes past me to cut down the other siren. She lets out a wail as she melts into a puddle, and Keith faces me with a satisfied grin. He sheathes his dagger just as the boat jolts and throws us into the air, dipping into the waves and having us land in knee-high water.

“We have to keep bailing!” I yell, hoping Keith can hear me over the sound of the storm. “Are all the sirens gone?

He nods. “We took care of them!”

I loosen the ropes around my waist, tying it back into its original single loop. “Good! I’m going to see if there’s a way out of this storm!”

Keith gapes and grabs my arm as I move to leave. “What? You’re going to the crow’s nest in  _ this _ ? You’ll get yourself killed!”

I yank my arm back. “I’ll be fine! What do you care, anyway?”

Keith looks pained. “Lance, I—”

“Just stay at the helm until I get back!” I tell him, turning to head down the stairs. I don’t want to get into it with Keith again. No matter how much it hurts to see Keith looks so upset, this is not the time for that. I make my way to the main mast, passing by the rest of my crew hurrying to bail water from the deck. I check the lifelines on the way there, satisfied that everything seems to be intact. 

I head over to Allura and tap her on the shoulder. “I’m going up to the crow’s nest! Make sure everything stays afloat!”

Allura looks stunned for a second before she nods. “Okay!”

I move away and reach for the ratlines leading up to the platform. Normally only really experienced sailors went up to the crow’s nest. Because of its height, the movement of the ship is amplified up there, and you’d have to have the most ironclad stomach of ironclad stomachs in order to try going up there in a storm like this. I swallow and brace myself as I start climbing. The rope digs into my skin, the rain making it even more difficult than normal. I slip more than a few times, but finally I make it up to the crow’s nest and climb over the waist-high railing. 

I grip the railing as hard as I can as I take in the world around me. Dismay dips in my stomach. It’s nothing but storm as far as the eye can see. I turn around, hoping I missed something, but I can barely see because of the rain and black clouds hanging over us. Panic starts to build in my chest. Have I really brought my crew to a place this dangerous? What was I thinking? Just because I had a stupid fixation on Voltron’s Trove? What if we don’t make it out of here? 

I take a deep breath and remind myself to stay calm. Worse comes to worst, I’ll find a way to turn the ship around and sail out of the storm. The ship lurches again, leaning to the starboard so hard that I’m almost sent flying out of the crow’s nest. I can hear screaming coming from below, but the ship rights itself and we carry on through the waves. I blink the rain out of my eyes and try again, slowly looking around myself to see where we should head.

There! The waters are calmer over there, and it looks slightly brighter than the rest of the ocean. I note its position in relation to the ship, climb down the ratlines as fast as I can, and dash back up to the helm. 

Keith gazes wide-eyed at me. “Did you find anything?”

“Yes!” I say. “Help me turn the tiller!”

Keith nods and leaves the wheel, joining me at the tiller and helping me pull it in a direction I hope is east by northeast. The ship slowly starts to turn, the waves working against us so that progress is almost nonexistent. But after a long time, we finally seem to be heading towards it, and Keith and I run up to the forecastle to get a better look. 

“Is that it?” Keith asks, pointing to the small area I saw earlier.

“Yes!” I say, turning to him with a huge grin. “We’re gonna’ get out of here!”

Keith’s responding smile lights up his whole face, and my heart jumps. “Yeah!”

I laugh as relief and joy swell inside me. “Keep bailing with the others! I’ll head back to the helm!”

It takes us a while, but eventually the calmer area grows bigger and bigger in front of the ship. The storm starts to withdraw, the waters gradually settling down and the rain easing up as we continue. When faint sunlight starts to shine through the clouds overhead, everyone cheers and hugs each other. The rain stops completely. I note a small island that lies a bit of a ways off in the distance. And I can feel everyone, including the ship, heave a collective sigh of relief.

“Alright, everyone, gather ‘round,” I say. I wait for them to join me at the helm. Not one person is without wounds, but each of them has expressions of exhilaration that makes me smile. “First off, I can’t believe we actually made it through the Devil’s Vortex.”

“Yeah, we did!” Matt cheers, roping his arm around Pidge and squeezing them to him. “We all made it!”

Chuckles go up from the others, and I laugh along with them. “Nothing like a little life-threatening storm to make us all warm and fuzzy inside.”

“I’m assuming that’s Haggar’s island up ahead, correct?” Allura asks. 

I nod. “Yep. We should be there soon.”

“But I thought it was supposed to be shrouded in fog,” Coran notes. “It doesn’t look very fog-shrouded to me.”

“Maybe there’ll be fog when we get there,” Hunk says. 

“Well, we’ll find out soon, I guess,” Keith says. 

“For now, let’s do a damage report and see if there’s anything we can fix,” I say. “After that, we can take some time to eat and recover from one hell of a storm.”

The crew mumbles their agreement, and everyone starts moving about the ship to see what we need to replace. Hunk and Coran are better versed in the anatomy of ships and maintenance in general, but since our crew is so small everyone becomes pretty well rounded. I stay at the helm to keep the ship on course. 

Now that I have time to recover from the Devil’s Vortex, thoughts start popping up in my head. Thoughts about Keith. Thoughts that I’m not entirely sure I want to entertain. I quickly glance over at him. He’s helping Hunk with something on the main deck, and as I watch Hunk says something that makes Keith chuckle. My heart jumps a bit, just like it did when Keith smiled at me earlier. Is it normal to find my former best friend cute? Or handsome? Or all of the above? I don’t remember thinking that when we were younger, but it’s been so long that I’ve forgotten a lot of things. 

I’m not naive. I know what having a crush and being attracted to someone feels like. I mean, it’s not like I’m lacking in the boyfriend department, having had a couple over the past ten years. But it’s the idea of being attracted to  _ Keith _ that gets me. Am I really into him? Or is it just because I think I have a shot of being friends with him again? Nah, I don’t think I have a crush on him. We’ve been apart too long for me to develop those kinds of feelings. Not to mention I don’t even know what Keith’s preferences are. Although that reminds me, Keith said he was immune to sirens. Is he like Hunk and Pidge? Or is he into guys?

I roughly shake my head. I don’t need to be thinking of these things right now. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Lance.” 

Hunk turns out to be right. The closer we get to the island the more mist rises from the surface of the water, until I can barely see where we’re going. I just keep the boat going in the same direction, since the current and drag from the sea shelf will tell me when we’re getting near. In a few minutes the boat starts slowing down, and Matt and Hunk lower the anchors. The boat comes to a stop, and through the thick fog I can make out the outline of the beach.

“Who wants to go?” Coran asks. “If I can recommend myself for staying here, then I’ll gladly do that.”

“Keith and I are going,” I say. “Matt, I’ll need your tracking skills. And Allura, I’d like you to come as well.”

“Sure,” she replies.

“I’m going to stay here with Coran,” Hunk says. “I don’t really like the feel of this place.”

“Same,” Pidge agrees. “You four have fun.”

I nod. “Alright. Let’s see what this island has to offer.”

* * *

What the island had to offer was nothing short of the creepiest place I’ve ever been to. Every step through the island’s jungle feels like a wrong move, and within a few minutes the four of us are jumping at even the slightest rustle of undergrowth. Strange animal cries and bird calls echo around us from deep within the forest. The fog is so dense I can hardly see three feet in front of me. An intense feeling of being watched washes over me, and I shift into a guarded stance as I look around myself.

“What are you doing?” Keith asks.

“Don’t you feel . . . weird?” I say. “Like someone’s watching us?”

“That’s what I was thinking too,” Allura says, her and Matt inching closer to me.

“You know, now that you say that,” Keith murmurs, “I’m starting to feel it too.” 

The four of us back up so that we’re standing in a circle with our backs facing inward. I see Keith place his hand on his sword, and Matt clicks the lock of his gun into place. The animal sounds seem to grow louder, until the only thing I can hear is the hoots and howls and the sound of my breathing getting more and more frantic. 

“Are you guys hearing that?” I ask in a wobbly voice. 

Allura says something in response but I can’t hear her over the sounds of the island. It’s too loud, it’s too loud! 

“AGH, I can’t take this!!” Matt screams, and without warning he takes off running into the bush. 

“Matt, wait!” Allura calls, and she races after him.

The fog immediately swallows her up, not even leaving an afterimage. It’s just me and Keith now, and I can feel myself start to shake. Keith grabs my arm, hard, and I glance at him to see his features tight with alarm. “What the hell is going on?”

“I have no clue,” I reply, and Keith steps closer to me. My brain briefly registers the fact that Keith is, uh, pretty close to me right now, but I can’t be thinking of that in this situation. “Is this what that book meant when it said the island would expose our hearts?”

“I hope not,” Keith mutters. “‘Cuz my heart is about to  _ literally _ reveal itself.” 

I give a single chuckle. Then another. Then I’m chuckling and giggling to the point of not being able to form words. Keith stares at me like I’m crazy for a second or two until he starts giggling as well. “Wh-what? What’s so funny?”

But I just start laughing harder, and Keith’s shoulders start shaking as he joins. I accidentally let out a snort, and that sends Keith into a fit of laughter that makes him clutch at his stomach and ease himself to the ground. My abs start hurting but I can’t stop laughing, and all the while the jungle fog seems to warp and shift around us. A bird makes a ridiculously loud call, and Keith and I howl with laughter.

Keith wipes at his eyes as his laughs gradually turn to high pitched sighs. His gaze catches on something in the fog and he sits up as his smile falls away. “McClain, do you see that?”

I turn to where he’s looking, my own laughter dissipating. “No, what are you talking about?”

“I . . .,” Keith trails off. He frowns. “I’ll be right back.”

He stands up but I grab his arm. “Keith, wait. You can’t go into the fog by yourself. We have to stick together!”

Keith shakes my arm off, and there’s a faraway look in his eyes. “What are you so stressed about? I’ll be fine.”

I gape. “B-but . . . Allura and Matt! We have to find them!”

“Who cares about that right now? Just wait here.” Keith turns and jogs into the thicket, and I can’t do anything but stand there slack-jawed. 

Something rustles behind me, and I whip around to face it. But as soon as I turn around the sound stops, and I swallow. What in Voltron’s name is even happening?? The fog that showed up around the island when we got close to it, the weird animal noises that seem to be coming from inside my own head, and the fact that I feel weirdly euphoric right now. . . ?

“Wait.” I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I need to do something right now. Something important.”

I open my eyes. “Oh, yeah! I need to find Keith.” 

Huh. Suddenly there sure are a lot of paths leading away from this one clearing. Each of them branches off into a sea of mist, so I can’t tell them apart from each other. Logically I know one of them will lead me to Keith. Probably? Most likely. But which one? I survey the different paths. The one on the right seems good. So I decide to take that one. 

I start walking down the path, and my thoughts start straying to Keith. My whole body feels warm and fuzzy just thinking about him. Why did I need to find him again? Whatever, I’ll take any excuse to see him right now. I want to know what he meant when he said he was immune to sirens. My face heats. I  _ really  _ hope he’s into guys. Damn, did I really think I didn’t have a crush on him? I can’t remember. Was I avoiding it for some reason? I don’t know. I don’t know. 

I could have been walking for three years or three minutes when I hear someone call my name. I turn and my heart immediately speeds up. “Keith!”

“Lance!” he calls. He reaches for me, pulling me into a tight hug. Ohmygods is this really happening is Keith hugging me right now holy crap. Keith pulls back, his hands resting on my shoulders and the most tender and relieved expression on his face. “I thought I’d never find you.”

Is my face as red as it feels? “Uh, w-well, ya’ found me!” 

Keith’s hands leave my shoulders and travel down my arms, making me shudder. He takes my hands in his and looks me in the eye. “Lance, I just wanted to say how much I’ve missed you. I was wrong to leave you before, and if it’s alright with you I’d like to resume our friendship.”

Is . . . is Keith actually apologizing to me right now? Somehow that doesn’t feel right. But he gently squeezes my hands and a fresh wave of shivers go across my skin. “Keith, I . . . it’s more than alright with me. I’d really like that.”

Keith averts his gaze as a shy smile curves his lips. “Actually, I was hoping our relationship could be different this time around.”

“Different how?” I can’t think. I can’t move. I don’t want to move.

Keith looks back at me and his gaze softens. “Like this.” And then he leans in and kisses me.

For a second I’m too stunned to do anything. But a flood of sensations wash over me and I react, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me. My hands travel across his shoulders, to his neck, and up to his face, and the soft skin of his cheeks makes me want to kiss him more. I hadn’t known just how much I wanted this before now, and  _ gods, _ do I want to be kissing him.

But something goes off in the back of my head, like a nagging voice. I try to listen to it, but kissing Keith feels too good and I can’t focus on what it’s saying. It persists, repeating over and over until it’s practically screaming at me. And when I can finally make out what it’s trying to tell me, my eyes snap open and I push Keith away from me. 

“Lance?” Keith questions. He looks concerned, and hurt, and beautiful, and . . . wait. 

I close my eyes and shake my head. Something’s wrong. I open my eyes and glance at him, and the voice in my head pings again. “Where’s your scar?”

Keith blinks. “What?”

“Your scar,” I say, taking a slight step back. “You should have one on your cheek. But there’s nothing there.”

His expression changes, becoming blank and bored, and my hands grow cold. “Damn. I thought I had it.”

I swallow. “What?”

But he doesn’t answer me. Instead, the fog around him twists and pulls, billowing into his image and turning it into wisps of color. A sound of alarm leaves my mouth and I stumble back. The fog around me rapidly starts fading, and within a few seconds I’m left standing in the middle of a large, empty clearing. The fog is completely gone, and I can see the jungle around me perfectly. Except the jungle isn’t actually a jungle, but a forest, with clear paths leading out to the ocean that I can see through the trees. There’s a slight ringing in my ears, and it takes a second for me to realize that the overwhelming amount of sounds have now reduced to a quiet murmur in the background. Most importantly, I can properly think again. And right now, I think my friends are in big trouble. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 4! My depiction of sirens is inaccurate, since they’re supposed to lure sailors away with promises of the future and not with sex, but i wanted to use them as a segway for keith and lance finally knowing each other’s sexualities ^^ FORGIVE ME


	5. Operation Pineapple

“Keith! Allura! Matt!” I yell. After the mist disappeared I left the clearing as fast as I could. I don’t know what kind of hell my friends are going through, but this island has been playing tricks on us since the start. No doubt the result of Haggar’s magic. She must have been able to steal many sailors like this.

“Guys? Helloooo?” I duck under a thick clump of bramble and try again. “Where are youuu?”

Although the forest isn’t as intimidating as it was at first, it’s still near impossible for me to know where I’m going. Everything looks the same, and I don’t have Matt’s tracking skills. He’d be able to know where we are just by looking at an animal’s paw print, or something. I consider going back to the ship to fetch the three on the boat, but I don’t know if they can still see the fog surrounding the island or not. Just because it’s gone for me doesn’t mean it’s gone for them. 

I swallow and take a break, leaning against a large tree. Damn, I feel like I’m getting nowhere. Fear sends chills across my skin as I imagine what Haggar could be doing to be friends right now. I close my eyes and shake my head against the horrible images that pop up. Probably shouldn’t be thinking of that right now. But as soon as I think that I remember what happened with Keith’s hallucination, and my whole head starts to steam. Is that  _ seriously _ what the deepest reaches of my heart are? There’s no way, right? That was just the work of Haggar’s magic, and nothing to do with me, right? I sigh.  _ Definitely  _ shouldn’t be thinking of that, either.

I stand up and start to look for my friends again, but something in a thicket catches my eye. I make my way over and part the bush, and my eyes widen as I recognize a fresh footprint. There’s even a trail of them leading off into the trees. This has to lead to someone. I take off after them and within a few minutes I’ve arrived at the entrance to a large cave. I hesitate. There’s some seriously spooky energy coming off of this place. Just standing in front of the dark, gaping mouth makes my skin crawl and every instinct inside me want to run and hide. More of Haggar’s magic, I bet. I steel my nerves and head inside, preparing for the worst.

The blackness swallows me almost instantly. My steps slow and I place one hand on the cave wall to guide me. I force myself to keep my breathing deep and quiet so I don’t freak out, but it’s taking almost all of my concentration. It’s like evil and hatred are radiating from the deepest part of the cave, and every step makes me feel more and more ill. My other hand presses against my stomach. What the hell is this place? 

I’ve been walking through the dark for about a minute or so when I start to hear the faint sound of someone’s voice. The closer I get the more it grates against me, its raspy quality setting my teeth on edge as it mutters indistinct words. The tunnel gradually grows lighter, and I can see a curve coming up ahead. I press myself against the wall, sidling until I’m certain the source of the voice is just around the bend. I peer out as much as I dare, barely stopping myself from gasping. 

Keith, Allura, and Matt are sitting with their backs to each other all completely swaddled in vines. Green, gnarled, thick vines. A single vine binds across each of their mouths, forcing their jaws open and preventing them from speaking. They’re sitting a few yards away from a crackling fire, and in the dim light I think I can see more wounds on their faces. And then there’s the big boss herself. 

I’ll be honest, Haggar is not what I expected. She’s worse. Usually when you hear the word ‘witch’ you think of some super tall lady with crazy hair and a look on her face like, “you’d better not be talking to me”. But with Haggar, the only thing that shows through her myriad of cloaks is the painful hunch of her back. Long, unkempt white hair reaches halfway down her frame, and if I don’t know if it’s just a trick of the light but her skin looks to be a deep shade of blue. Everything about her, from the hood covering her eyes to the weird markings on her cheeks, screams at me to leave. I can practically feel how powerful she is just by standing here, and I know that’s not a good sign. But there’s no way I can leave my friends here. I take a deep breath to calm myself. I can do this. I force myself to smile as confidently as I can, lift my chest, and take a step out. 

“Hey, there!” I say. My friends’ gazes snap to me, but I can’t afford to get distracted right now. I give a little wave as Haggar turns towards me. “I don’t mean to interrupt, uh, whatever it is that you’re doing, but you have some things of mine that I’d like back.”

Haggar’s mouth curves in a slow smile. “Ah, Lance McClain. I was wondering when you’d join us.”

I start. When did she learn my name? Well, I guess an all-powerful witch would know these things. I force a chuckle. “Yeah, well, it took me a while to get here. You know, given the whole hallucinogenic fog you’ve got covering this place.”

Her responding chuckle sounds more like a cough than a laugh. “I was impressed you were able to see through it. But I suppose I should have tried a bit harder.”

“Regardless, I’m here to retrieve my friends,” I say, trying to move past the subject of what I saw in the mist. “So if you’d kindly return them to me, I’d very much appreciate that.”

Haggar’s smile disappears. She stands there for a while, not speaking or moving or doing anything to indicate that she heard what I said, and I start to feel antsy. What is she doing? I glance over at my friends, who start struggling against their bonds when they catch my eye. I give a small shake of my head. I can’t have them drawing attention to themselves when I still don’t know what Haggar is capable of. They catch my drift and stop moving.

Finally Haggar smiles again. “Okay, Lance McClain. Let’s make a deal. I’ll let you and your friends go if you can tell me what you saw.”

I freeze. “What?”

“You heard me,” she says. “Tell me what you saw in the fog, and I won’t hurt anyone. But if you try to lie to me, I’ll know. I sent him to you, after all.”

My blood runs cold. There’s no way I can tell her what I saw, not in front of the person in question. How am I supposed to admit to hallucinating about Keith kissing me? And how I kissed him back? My gaze flits to him and he raises his eyebrows, giving a pointed look from Haggar to me. He obviously wants me to tell her what I saw so we can all get out of here. But the thought of Keith knowing what I saw tightens and twists my stomach. What else can I do? There must be something?

“Well, uh,” I start. This cave is too hot. It’s too hot, isn’t it? “I was walking through the jungle looking for everyone and . . . and I heard someone call out to me.”

“And who was it?” Haggar asks, another raspy chuckle rumbling in her chest.

I swallow. It’s definitely too hot in here. I drag my arm across my forehead. “The person . . . the person was, uh . . .”

No. I’m not doing this. I shake my head and face Haggar. “You know what, I’m not going to entertain this anymore. I’m taking my friends home and that’s that.”

Haggar tilts her head. “What, you can’t even say it out loud?”

Heat burns across my cheeks. “It’s not about that! Besides, there must be something else I can do.”

Haggar stops smiling. I can’t see her eyes, but the room’s temperature drops and a feeling of dread washes over me. “Fine. You may choose one of your friends to go.”

I can’t tell if this is a trap or not, but one person is better than none. I look over at them, and their eyes are all wide with fear. No, I’m certain this is a trap. If I take one person, Haggar will find a way to trap me here. Or she’ll attack me from behind when I’m untying them. Or she’ll let me leave and kill or torture the other two. I can’t afford to assume this isn’t a trap. But then a brilliant plan pops into my head, and I have to stifle my grin. I know just what to do. 

“Okay,” I agree. “I’ll take one person.”

Haggar doesn’t do anything to acknowledge my response, so I assume I’m in the clear. I sidestep to my friends, keeping my gaze on Haggar and preparing myself for what’s to come. I ignore Matt and Allura’s pleading looks and crouch down next to Keith, still looking at Haggar as I reach for my dagger and carefully cut into his ties. 

I lower my face to Keith’s ear without taking my eyes off the witch. “Keith, we need to execute Operation Pineapple. Do you remember it?”

His nod is so subtle I almost miss it.

“Good. On your mark.”

I finish removing his binds and help him stand up as he rips the vine away from his mouth. “Well, Haggar. We’ll be on our way now. Thank you for allowing me to take one person with me. Good day.”

I turn to leave, but before I take a step Keith plants his hand on my shoulder and pulls me back. His touch sends chills through me, but I can’t focus on that right now. He frowns at me. “Wait a second, McClain. You’re just going to leave the rest of our friends here?”

I furrow my brow, playing along. “What, you think I should betray Haggar’s trust of me?”

Keith folds his arms. “No, but you’re not seriously considering leaving them here, are you?”

“What else do you suggest I do, Kogane?” I ask.

“I don’t know, maybe, force Haggar to let us take them?”

“You know very well I can’t do that,” I say, shaking my head. I can see we’ve caught Haggar’s attention. Her mouth is slightly slack and she’s facing our way. “It’s not polite.”

Keith narrows his eyes and looks away. “Tch. I always knew you were a coward.”

“What was that, Kogane?” I take a step closer to him, getting up in his face. 

“I said, I always knew you were a coward!” he repeats, shoving me away from him. “You always have been, and you always will be.”

“Are you serious?” I make my voice dramatically raise in pitch. “You’re seriously calling  _ me  _ a coward? And this is coming from the guy who ran away from our friendship!”

Keith blinks and hesitates. Did I take it too far? But Keith just scrunches his features and carries on. “Yeah, I ran away because you were too much of a coward to be friends with! You should know better than anyone!”

“Huh?” I bite back. I take a step back and draw my sword, pointing it at his chest in an exaggerated gesture. “If you think  _ I’m  _ a coward, how ‘bout you take me on and find out?”

A wicked grin spreads across Keith’s face, and he draws his sword in response. “With pleasure.”

Keith clashes his sword with mine as he lunges forward and I jump back. He swipes at me from left and right, putting in just enough effort for me to have to work to parry him. He thrusts towards my right side and I roll to my left, coming up on the right of Haggar. She takes an unsteady step back as Keith and I continue fighting, all the while Keith’s gaze is locked with mine. I can see where he’s about to move based on the twitch of his smile or the furrow of his brow. That much about him hasn’t changed. He’s as predictable as he was when we were kids. That thought fills me with a warm, fuzzy feeling, and my smile grows wider as I jump over a swipe he aims for my feet. 

_ Any moment now, _ I think. We’re getting to the point where Haggar’s back is to the fire, and any attempt to get closer to her would result in her either falling into the flames or pushing us back. If we’re going to act, we need to do it  _ now.  _ As I parry one of Keith’s strikes I quickly glance at Haggar and back to him. He chuckles and brings his sword up over my head, rushing down at me. I quickly stop it with my blade, my arm shaking as I fight to keep it steady.

“Give it up, Lance,” Keith huffs. He’s breathing heavily and I can see sweat glinting off his skin, but his eyes are bright and eyes crinkle as he smirks. “You never were able to beat me.”

And even though this fight isn’t for real, even though I know we’re both putting on acts, at this moment I feel more connected to Keith than I ever have before. More connected than I remember feeling as teenagers, more connected than any of the moments he’s been on my ship with me. I want to look into his eyes until everything fades away. His eyes that are barely lit by the fire crackling nearby. 

I swallow back my feelings and force myself to smirk. “You’re right, Keith. But you know who I can beat?”

We yell at the same time, “You!” and together we break apart, pull back our fists, and slam them straight into Haggar’s face. She shrieks as she falls back, and the fire hungrily claws at her plethora of cloaks. She holds her head in her hands and stumbles away from the fire, flailing around as she tries to get her bearings, and Keith and I hurry to subdue her. Keith uses the vine from earlier and strings it across her body, wrapping it several times around her torso and tying it off around her wrists behind her back. I put out the fire and slump her against the cave wall as Keith undoes Matt and Allura’s bonds, and the four of us stand in front of her as we try to get some answers.

“Hah, take  _ that, _ you witch!” Matt yells, pointing a finger at her. “That’ll teach you to trick us!”

“Let’s see who’s hiding under there,” Allura says. She pushes back Haggar’s hood, revealing a scrawny face with a murderous expression. The markings on her face spread up past her eyes, which are a weird gold color. 

“You fools,” Haggar rasps, curling her lip. “I would have let you all go if you had just been obedient!”

“Yeah, right. And Coran’s my father,” I retort. “Now that we have you captured, you’re gonna answer some questions of ours.”

“I don’t have to answer anything you mortals ask me,” she spits.

I glance at Keith, who looks bored. “What do you think, Keith? Should we take her with us and hold her hostage on the ship?”

Keith gives me a sly grin. “Sounds like a plan. We could hold her in the brig until she decides to answer.”

“Fine!” she cries. “I’ll answer. Do what you must.”

Keith takes a step towards her. “Is my crew alive?”

Haggar’s eyes glow bright yellow for a second, and she takes a beat to answer. “Yes. They are alive.”

Keith blinks and swallows. He opens his mouth to say something else, but nothing comes out. I place my hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright, Keith. We’ll find them.”

Keith closes his eyes and nods once. “Thank you. I need a second.” He moves away from me, his back to the rest of us. 

I turn back to Haggar. “Okay, witch. Where are the rest of the map pieces to Voltron’s Trove?”

Her eyes do that glowy thing again, and in a split second something flashes before my eyes and makes me jump. The light clears to show a rolled up parchment, and I hold my hands out to keep it from falling. When I unravel it, my jaw drops.

“What is it?” Allura asks. She scoots closer to me to look over my shoulder.

“A fully detailed map to the other pieces,” I murmur. I blink and take a closer look at the map. There’s something on that map that flickers in and out of existence, like a small firefly on certain spots. I realize one of the spots seems to be located in the Devil’s Vortex.

“That map will show you all you need to know,” Haggar says. “You can see yourself and the rest of the pieces on it.”

“But doesn’t that mean there’s one right here?” Matt asks.

Haggar’s chuckle grates against her throat. “Of course.” Something else flashes in front of us, and Matt grabs at it. The light fades to show one of the pieces of the map. 

“Yes!” I cry, smiling widely. “This is great! Now we can leave here and never return.”

“Wait,” Keith says. He walks back over and leans over Haggar. “Tell me where my crew is.”

Haggar snickers again, but this time the snicker echoes around the cave. “I never said I’d answer all your questions.” Purple mist flares out from underneath her cloaks and the four of us take a few steps back. The mist engulfs her and within a few seconds, she’s gone.

“Well. That was helpful,” Keith mutters.

“Hey, you found out your crew is alive,” I say. “We’ll find them from here.”

Keith gives me an unreadable look for a second before the slightest hint of a smile tugs at his mouth. “Right. We should head back to the ship.”

He leads the way out of the cave, and I exchange a glance with Allura and Matt. Matt shrugs and Allura shakes her head. Neither of them knows what to do either. I sigh and follow Keith out of Haggar’s empty lair. The island is still cleared of mist when I exit, and based on the other’s reactions it must be clear for them too. I tell them about how I managed to see through Haggar’s hallucination, and how the island reverted back to normal after that.

“What did you see in the fog?” Matt asks.

My gaze immediately flickers to Keith, who raises an eyebrow at me. I feel the blood rush to my face and look away, forcing a shaky laugh. “Oh, n-nothing. Ya’ know. Haha.”

“That doesn’t sound like nothing,” Allura says, her smile cheeky.

My face heats up even more. “It was nothing!” She and Matt laugh, and I glare at them. “Unless  _ you  _ two want to offer up that information.” Matt averts his gaze and clears his throat, while Allura’s laugh turns sheepish and she rubs her arm. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

“Wait, why was it called ‘Operation Pineapple’?” Matt asks.

I exchange a glance with Keith, and he smirks. “Why don’t you tell them, McClain?”

I pout and heave a rough sigh. “Fine. It was back when we were kids. We hadn’t eaten in a while and there was this really,  _ really _ good-looking pineapple we saw at a fruit stand.”

“So Lance decides to trick the owner,” Keith continues, turning to the others with his stupid, snarky grin on his face. “We pretended to fight in front him and, when the owner was least expecting it, we knocked him out and stole the pineapple. And some other food, of course.”

“And from then on Keith called it ‘Operation Pineapple’,” I finish, and I roll my eyes to catch Keith grinning at me with a knowing look. “Whatever! I didn’t know what else to do, so I went with that!”

“I’m surprised you still remember,” he drawls. “After all, you were notorious for forgetting things almost as soon as you learned them.”

I glare at him. “Was not.”

“Uh-huh. Whatever you say.”

I hear chuckling, and I turn to see Allura and Matt stifling laughter. “What’s up with you?”

Matt gives me a wide smile. “Nothing, I swear!”

“It’s just nice to see you two getting along, for a change,” Allura adds pointedly.

Keith snorts and turns to continue walking. “Let’s just get back to the ship.”

“Oh?” I say, quickening my step to stand next to him. “What was that I heard? Did I hear Keith Kogane, the stoic man himself,  _ laugh _ ?”

Keith’s cheeks redden and he shoves me away with his hand. “Yeah, right. You must be imagining things.”

I decide to drop it, but all the way back I can’t stop smiling.

* * *

The trip back to the ship was much less perilous this time around, and I enjoyed telling Pidge, Hunk, and Coran about my exploits as I saved the poor, helpless trio. Of course, the other three gave me death glares the entire time, but I couldn’t care less. We all gathered in the navigation room, where Pidge went over the maps that Haggar gave us. Now that we have four pieces of the map and something to tell us where the next fragments are, we’re well on our way to becoming legends.

Unfortunately leaving Haggar’s island meant having to brave the Devil’s Vortex again. We’d manage to sail through it the first time, but I wasn’t too keen on doing it again. Especially since I wasn’t entirely sure if our incredible luck would hold. My crew and I rested for a bit, ate a hearty meal, and went about preparing the ship to take on the storm for the second time. No use delaying the inevitable. 

Things start out the same as I remember. The overwhelmingly oppressive sky that hangs too low above us, the deafening sounds of thunder and the waves as they slam against the boat, and the relentless current that throws my ship around like it’s a basket of fruit. It seems like we’re all a little more confident, though, with everyone knowing instinctively where they’re needed and what needs attention. Sometimes I’m at the helm, then someone comes to relieve me and I help with bailing, and the cycle repeats over and over again. 

I’m feeling better about our prospects for a while, until Coran comes up to the helm with a panicked expression. “Lance! We’re headed for a maelstrom!”

“What?!” I demand. 

“Just off the starboard bow!” he replies.

“Come take the wheel!” We switch places and I dash across the ship, my heart hammering in my throat. I reach the forecastle and grip the railing as I look over it. Sure enough, about three or four ship’s length away from us is a swirling mass of chaos. It’s huge, bigger than I’ve ever seen a maelstrom be before, and it makes my blood run cold. I swallow and head back to the quarter-deck, my mind racing as I try to figure out what we can do to avoid it. Before I can get my crew’s attention a wave looms over us from the port side. Everyone grabs the nearest mast or railing, and I hold my breath as it runs its course. 

“Everyone, listen up!” I yell. They all look towards me. “There’s a huge whirlpool up ahead, and we’re on course to get sucked in! Everyone needs to make sure their lifelines are as secure as possible! Hunk, help me with the tiller! Everyone else, start bringing in all the sails!”

I can see they’re all scared, but everyone responds loudly and they move to do what they need. Hunk follows me up to the helm and together we pull it as far right as possible. Little by little the ship starts turning, and for a second I think we’ll be able to avoid it. But then we’re thrown into a wave we’re not prepared to breach, and the boat careens to the side. Hunk and I hold on to the tiller for dear life as Coran wraps himself around the steering wheel. I hear someone screaming below and I look over to see Pidge, Matt, and Allura rush over to the starboard railing and grab on to something.

“Hunk, keep the tiller in position!” I yell. I make my way down to the quarter-deck, and I realize that the three of them are holding on to rope stretching taut over the side. There’s something I’m missing. My brain should be making the connection, but it isn’t. All I can feel is a sense of dread that swallows my insides and threatens to overwhelm me. “Allura! What happened?”

Her expression is wide with horror and alarm. “Keith fell overboard!”

“WHAT?!” No, no, no, no, no. This can’t be happening,  _ this can’t be happening. _ “Pull him in!”

“What do you think we’re doing?!” Pidge yells, adjusting their grip as they tug on the rope. 

I lean over the railing and try to look through the water. But the waves are too erratic and the surroundings are too dark, making it useless to try, so I move behind Matt and help bring the rope in. Time slows down around me, and when I move it’s like I’m trapped in amber. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. My chest feels too tight. My head is too fuzzy. I can’t think I can’t think  _ I can’t think. _ My throat closes and fear makes my body numb. Please don’t die, Keith. Please don’t die.

I don’t know how long we struggle to pull the rope in against the vicious waters, but finally Allura reaches over the side and hauls Keith’s limp body onto the ship. I drop the rope and move to his side in an instant, time resuming its regular course around me. I hold him in my arms and try to see if he’s still alive, but between the pelting rain, lurching ship, and thunderclaps, I can’t focus.

“Allura, get Coran!” I tell her. “Take over at the wheel and tell Hunk to keep the tiller in position until we’ve cleared the whirlpool.”

“Got it!” She takes off, and I turn to Pidge and Matt.

“Concentrate on bringing in the sails, and once that’s done continue bailing!” I yell.

They both nod and head off to continue their job, and when I refocus on Keith I see Coran has joined us. “Lance, we can’t examine him in this weather! We have to go inside!”

“Okay!” I reply. I gather Keith in a more secure position and stand up, wobbling against the ship’s movements. I head straight for my cabin, since it’s the closest, and wait for Coran to open the door for me. When we’re inside, I lay Keith as gently as possible on my bed and take a step back to allow Coran to examine him. He checks Keith’s pulse, listens to his breathing, and immediately begins giving CPR. My heart sinks. What if Keith doesn’t recover from this? 

But almost as soon as I think that, Keith jerks and starts throwing up sea water as Coran helps him sit up. I move closer and rub Keith’s back in firm circles, and I can feel him shivering. He coughs and heaves, and every time he does I feel my insides clench with pain.  _ He’s alive, he’s alive, he’s alive, he’s alive. _ Keith falls back against the bed and curls onto his side, shaking and quivering as he takes breaths that are way too shallow. I get up, grab a towel, and kneel next to him as I begin to dry him off. 

“Is he alright?” I ask Coran.

Coran frowns. “He’s alive, but I’m not sure how his body will react to the stress. He needs someone here to take care of him.”

“I’ll stay,” I say immediately. Coran opens his mouth in protest but I cut him off. “I’ll come get you if I need you. For now, go back outside and help everyone else with getting out of this storm.” 

Coran hesitates. “Okay.” He looks like he wants to say more, but he leaves the room and closes the door behind him. 

I turn my attention back to Keith. He’s still shivering, and I lean in closer as fear squeezes my heart. “Shh, shh. You’re okay. Let’s get you some dry clothes.”

I try to change his clothes as gently as possible, but it’s difficult because of how they stick to his skin. I decide to leave his underwear on, since I’m certain Keith wouldn’t appreciate me changing that for him. After some fumbling I manage to get him in some dry clothes as well as replace the sheets so he’s not laying on wet blankets. I tuck him into bed and dry his hair, taking my time to make sure I can get him as warm as possible. After a few minutes he seems to have calmed down a bit, but his face is scrunched and his breathing drags against his throat. I feel his forehead and almost immediately draw my hand away. He’s burning. My stomach swirls with fear and I swallow. I’ve done all I can for now. There’s not much more I can do except wait.

I’d planned on patiently watching over Keith until he wakes up, but all the emotions from the ordeal consume me and my vision blurs. I slip my hand into his and grip it as if my life depends on it. I press Keith’s hand to my forehead and squeeze my eyes shut. I can’t stop shaking and I feel like I can’t breathe.  _ Gods _ , I am terrified. I’m terrified Keith won’t wake up. Please wake up, Keith.  _ Please _ , wake up. I have so much I still want to talk to you about. I can’t lose you like this. The rest of me falls away, and the only thing I can feel is my hand around Keith’s as it’s against my forehead. I don’t care what else is happening right now. I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care. I just need Keith to not die. “Please wake up.”

“Lance,” he croaks.

I open my eyes and stare at him. His face is devoid of color and his lips are cracked and dry. My stomach lurches. “Keith.”

Keith’s chin wobbles and he inhales sharply. “I’m sorry. I’m s-so sorry, Lance.”

“For what?” I ask.

Keith swallows, his face pinching in pain. “For leaving. I’m so sorry, Lance. I’m so, so, sorry.”

“Shh, it’s alright,” I say, brushing his bangs out of his face. Even with just that I can feel the heat coming off his skin. “Don’t strain yourself.”

Keith inhales sharply again, his breath catching as tears well in his eyes. “No, I-I have to tell you how sorry I am. I  _ can’t _ tell you just how sorry I am. I regret leaving you every day.”

He blinks, sending the tears down his face, and I let out a shaky breath as my throat constricts and the heat builds behind my eyes. “Sh-shhh, please. You’ll tire yourself out.”

But then I hear Keith stifle a weak sob, and I’m completely undone. The fear mixes with grief and my tears spill over, and Keith keeps saying he’s sorry through his sobs, and I keep trying to tell him it’s alright through my own. Keith’s sadness sends a stab of pain through my heart, and I clasp his hand tighter in my own. My anguish blurs with Keith’s, filling the room and pressing in on me from inside and out. It’s too much. It’s too much, and yet not enough. Somehow I want to live in this moment forever, where it’s just me and Keith aching the loss of our relationship and simultaneously wishing for more. More time, more space. Just  _ more. _

We stay like that for what could have been a few minutes or an eternity, Keith’s hand still grasped between mine. I sniffle and gently wipe Keith’s tears with my thumb. “I’m sorry, too, Keith. I should have been there for you.”

Keith looks like he’s about to start crying again, but he scrunches his face and holds back. “No, Lance. You did nothing wrong. I was a coward, that’s all. I ran away from you.”

I’m tempted to ask him why, but I don’t want to upset him more than he already is. “You don’t have to think about it right now. Just focus on resting and getting better. Please. I . . . it hurts to see you in so much pain.”

Keith’s gaze locks with mine, and for a moment neither of us says anything. The silence is kind of apprehensive. Like it’s waiting for one of us to say something. And there’s a sort of tension that makes me want to say something. Something that’s been like the tiniest fragment of a whisper in my mind. Something I’m not even certain about, barely a sliver of an idea. But I can’t say something like that in this kind of situation. So instead, I tell him something else.

“An orphanage,” I blurt out.

Keith blinks. “What?”

I clear my throat, suddenly self-conscious. “You asked me why I wanted to get Voltron’s Trove so badly. I want to build an orphanage.” Keith’s eyes widen, and my words spill out from me. “Well, uh, you know how hard it was when we were growing up, and I j-just thought it would be good if, if kids without families didn’t have to go through the same things we did, and, uh, it’s expensive to build an orphanage so I figured Voltron’s Trove would work, somehow, uh, yeah.” 

Keith’s fighting to keep his eyes open, and I can see sweat beads forming on his forehead, but he chuckles weakly. “I knew it.”

I blink. “What?”

“I knew you weren’t that shallow. Still the same Lance I always knew,” Keith murmurs, and his eyes close as he slips into sleep. 

I turn so my back is against the bed and put my face in my hands. My face is searing and, despite everything, I can’t stop smiling. And yet I can’t admit it to myself yet. I don’t want to admit it to myself yet. ‘Cuz there’s no way  _ that’s _ the case, right? But then I’m reminded of the kiss on Haggar’s island, and my head starts steaming all over again. Maybe . . . maybe this sliver of an idea isn’t so bad. Maybe I should embrace it. But I’m hesitant as well. I don’t want to complicate anything, and I’m certain Keith doesn’t feel the same way, given how he’s treated me this whole time. I take a deep breath, hold it for a second, and slowly let it out. Regardless of what I’m feeling, I can’t allow myself to say it out loud. For Keith’s sake, I’ll pretend I don’t feel anything at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the late chapter! I wasn’t able to finish it as quickly as i’d hoped, and chapter 6 might not be done until next wednesday either :(( but i’ll work on it as much as i can! Anyway, please leave a comment to let me know what you think and i hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Keith's Revelation (in more ways than one)

I don’t know when it happens, but I end up falling asleep as well. My sleep is pretty undisturbed, with hardly any dreams and just a nice feeling of finally being able to rest. I’m not sure what makes me up. My eyes are sticky when I try to open them, and when I sit up I realize that my head had been resting on the mattress. I immediately pull back, my gaze catching Keith’s as he looks at me from where he’s slightly sitting up in bed.

“Morning,” he says hoarsely, a small smile on his face.

 _Woah._ The sight of Keith smiling at me after waking up is way too intoxicating, and a nervous laugh leaves my mouth. “Uh, h-hi. How’re you feeling?”

“Better,” he replies. “I don’t feel like I’m gonna’ die anymore.”

I grin. “That’s the goal, isn’t in? How’s your fever?” Without waiting for his answer I lean closer to place my hand on his forehead. “Hm. Not as bad.”

But then I realize what kind of predicament I’ve put myself in. In this position my face is a bit too close to Keith’s, and my hand begins to tingle against his skin as his eyes search mine. I swallow as the temperature in the room ramps up a few degrees, and I quickly pull my hand back before I do something stupid.

“Yep. Definitely not as bad,” I say, focusing my gaze on pretty much anywhere but Keith.

“Lance,” he says quietly.

I swallow again and look back at him. “Yeah?”

“I wanted to thank you for, um, staying with me. The whole night,” Keith murmurs, his cheeks reddening. “You didn’t have to do that.”

And suddenly the room feels all too small and I feel much too restless. I have to do something to get rid of this feeling. I prop one hand on my hip and poke Keith in the arm, an exaggerated pout on my face. “Listen here, Mullet. We didn’t go through that whole ‘I’m sorry’ shtick for you to dismiss me. You’re stuck with me, you got that? I’m not going anywhere.”

Keith blinks and flashes me a cheeky smile, one eyebrow raised. “Fine then, Lover-Boy. If I’m stuck with you then I get to use your old nickname too.”

My face immediately heats and I sputter. “Wh-where’d you hear that?!”

“Pidge.”

“Damn that gremlin,” I curse. “I’ll get them for that.”

Keith laughs a few times. It’s a weak laugh, and he breaks into a light bout of coughing, but I don’t care. We made up. We _finally_ made up, and now we can be friends again. It’s why I’m certain I’m not going to entertain any kind of feelings that could be cropping up for him, and that I’ll just ignore whatever physical reactions I get. I don’t want to risk messing things up, and I don’t think I could handle Keith leaving again. The thought of how much I care for Keith scares me, and I quickly tamper everything down. _Alright, Lance, let’s keep it together._

A knock at the door sounds, and I call out to let them in. Coran’s concerned face peers around the corner, but he smiles and joins us when he sees Keith sitting up. “Keith, you’re looking much better! The whole crew has been worried sick about you. No pun intended, of course.”

Keith chuckles. “Thank you, Coran. Let everyone know I appreciate that.”

“How are things outside?” I ask. “Since none of us are dead, I assume things are good?”

“Yep,” Coran nods. “We left the Devil’s Vortex about an hour ago, and we’re heading back to the mainland now. We just don’t have a destination yet, so that’s the other reason I’m visiting you.”

I stand up and stretch my arms over my head. “Okay, I’ll join you in a sec. We have to decided where we’re headed next, after all.”

Keith clears his throat. “Actually, I might be able to help with that.”

“Oh?” I say. “Do go on.”

“Before we went back into the vortex, I looked at the map Haggar gave us. I know one of the places where we could get a map piece,” he says.

My eyes widen as I smile. “That’s fantastic! So where are we going?”

Keith gives a light smile in response. “A city called ‘Varough’. I know someone there, and she should be able to help.”

“Alright, Coran,” I say, propelling myself to my feet and assuming a power stance. “Set course for Varough!”

* * *

Varough is a relatively small city, with spread-out buildings and wide pathways. We pull into the dock and sit for a while so we can all eat together, although Keith ends up staying in my room to eat. It reminds me of the fact that Keith is in my room right now. I doubt he’ll sleep there again, but is it selfish of me to want him to? I feel like it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but I also know that Keith probably wouldn’t want that. I sigh into my meal. Why did I have to get feelings for _him_ , of all people?

It’s around noon by the time we’re ready to make a trip into the city. Keith says he’s feeling good enough to come along, and without him we wouldn’t know who we were visiting anyway. Keith, Hunk, Matt, and I walk through the streets, following Keith as he trods in front of us. I trail behind him, with Matt and Hunk chatting between themselves. I try to focus on their conversation to see if I can jump in, but I can’t stop looking at the back of Keith’s head. I want to know what’s going on in there. What he’s thinking about, whether he’s excited to see this person, and how he feels about me after all of this. My heart speeds up and migrates to my throat, but I swallow against it and steel my nerves as I walk up next to him.

“Who are we going to see?” I ask.

Keith glances at me out of the corner of his eye. He smirks. “You’ll see.”

“Wow, that’s specific,” I say dryly.

He chuckles. “Don’t worry, it’s someone I trust.”

I’m silent for a beat. “What is your crew like? I don’t think I’ve ever asked you.”

Keith’s smile disappears, replaced with a thoughtful expression. He doesn’t reply right away, and I give him time to gather his thoughts. “They’re the best friends and companions one could ever ask for. I’d trust each and every one of them with my life. They’ve had my back more times than I can count.”

I try not to let that sting. _I should’ve been there,_ I think to myself.

“You should’ve been there,” Keith says quietly.

I glance at him. “Keith . . .”

“I know I’ve already said this, but I truly am sorry for everything, Lance.” He looks pained. “One day, maybe, I can explain to you why I left.”

I swallow and force myself to smile as I clap him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, dude. We’re together now, and that’s all that matters, right?”

Keith glances at me with a cheeky expression, and I realize what I said. “U-um, I didn’t mean together in _that_ kind of sense, haha, I mean, I don’t even know if, uh, if you’re into guys or not.”

Keith turns back to look at the road, his amusement widening his grin. “Don’t worry, I know what you meant. And I am, by the way. Into guys.”

I can barely hear anything over the sound of my own elated screaming in my head. “O-oh! Great! So that’s why the sirens didn’t affect you.”

“But they affected you?” Keith notes. Is that a wistful tone I hear in his voice, or is it my own wishful thinking?

“Oh, yeah, they did,” I reply, “but I’m into guys and girls. So if there are any male sirens out there, I’m pretty much screwed.”

It takes a second for him to react, but a small smile pulls at his mouth. “Good to know.”

 _Good to know?_ What does that mean? Is there hope for me? Or does Keith simply see me as a friend? Is it possible that he didn’t know I was into guys? Well, I didn’t know he was either, so it’s not like he could’ve guessed. I swallow and turn my gaze to the road. Damn my heart is beating way too fast right now. I need to calm down. Just because Keith’s into guys doesn’t mean he’ll be into me. I repeat that phrase over and over in my head until we’re standing in front of a door after a few more minutes of walking. The sign out front says it’s a weapon’s shop, and I wonder who Keith knows here. He knocks a few times on the door before opening it, and I let him take the lead.

The walls of the shop are lined with every weapon I could possibly think of. Axes, swords, daggers, morning stars, bows and quivers, almost every weapon imaginable. I do a slow turn as I take it all in, my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide. There are a couple bookcases along the walls as we walk further into the shop, each of them with a variety of books, chests, bottles, and other adventuring paraphernalia.

“Woah, this place is awesome,” Matt notes. He grabs a flail off of its stand on the wall, the chain making a sound as the ball pulls on it. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to use one of these.”

“Oh, man, that would be so cool!” Hunk agrees. “You’d be all like, _hyah!_ And you’d get to swing it at anyone who comes by.”

Matt’s face lights up and he crouches in a fighting stance, holding the flail in his backhand as he prepares to strike. “Like this?”

“You know, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t destroy my shop,” a new voice sounds.

I turn around and blink as I take in the older woman in front of me. The first thing I notice is how tall she is, easily taller than me or Keith. Her short black hair flares out at her ears, with a mid-length rattail braided over her shoulder and few wisps of gray strewn throughout. But out of everything there’s something about her stance, something about the expression on her face that strikes me as familiar. Have I met her somewhere before?

She looks over at Keith and her expression immediately softens, a warm smile on her face. “Keith. It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Keith replies, and I hear a new note in his voice that I’ve never heard before. He walks over to her and the two embrace, and I feel like I’m seeing a completely different person.

“Uh, Keith?” I say. “Who is this?”

The two stop hugging but Keith remains close to her side with a wide smile on his face. “This is Krolia. My mother.”

“Your _what?!_ ” I practically shout. “Your _mom?”_

Keith chuckles. “Yes, Lance.”

“B-but,” I stammer. “But how did you find her?”

The two exchange a glance and a smile, and Krolia lets out a small laugh. “That’s a long story. Why don’t you all come to the back, and I’ll explain everything.”

She heads to the back with Hunk and Matt on her heels, the two talking excitedly about this newest revelation. I glance at Keith and he shrugs, a kind of sheepish expression on his face. “I never really got a chance to tell you. You know, since we stopped talking and all.”

Too many emotions roll through me at once. On the one hand, I feel a bit jealous. Keith’s found at least one of his parents when I never knew mine. Then I’m angry at myself for feeling that way, since I should be nothing but happy for him. And I _am_ happy for him. So I force down the other emotions and give him my best smile.

“That’s amazing! I’m really happy for you!” I say, walking over and clapping him on the back. “I can’t wait to hear about how the two of you ran into each other.”

Keith lifts an eyebrow. “It’s not as impressive as she made it out to be.”

“As long as you’re embarrassed by it, that’s all that matter.”

“Hey!”

“Heh. Just kidding.”

* * *

Krolia gives us a fantastic lunch and tells the story of how she managed to find Keith. When she’d first had him, she’d had to leave him with his father because she’d been needed on an urgent mission overseas. Apparently, she’d worked for an undercover operation known as the Blade of Marmora, where she worked to stop wars from breaking out across the continent. Then Keith’s father suddenly disappeared, and Keith had been put in an orphanage. When Krolia returned she’d found their house abandoned, and she’d thought she’d lost Keith forever.

After Keith and I had split up, he’d wandered on his own for a little while before joining a large gang. That gang had been into some bad stuff, and they’d been escalating a fight with a neighboring city’s gang. When things had gotten to a breaking point, the Blade of Marmora had stepped in, and Krolia had recognized Keith right away. It helped that Keith carried around a knife his father had given to him as a kid, and since then the two had reconciled their relationship. I glance between Keith and Krolia as they tell the story, and I can’t help the feeling of unease that stirs within me. Why do I feel like this?

“So, what brings you to my shop this time?” Krolia asks. By now we’ve all finished our meals, and Hunk, Matt, and I help put the dishes away.

“We’re searching for a map,” I say, and I quickly explain our journey to find the missing pieces of the map to Voltron’s Trove. Krolia’s face remains impassive as she listens, and when I finish her expression hasn’t changed. 

“Do you know of anyone in the city who could have it?” Keith asks. “The map Haggar gave us said that one of them would be here.”

Krolia smirks and walks behind the kitchen counter, where she crouches down to open a cabinet and rustle through it a bit. When she comes back up, she’s holding a piece of parchment. “Haggar’s map was right.”

Hunk gasps. “No way! How did you end up getting this?”

“Being part of an undercover operation has its perks,” she says, giving him a wink.

“You’re just gonna’ give it to us?” I ask.

Krolia smiles. “If Keith trusts you, that’s enough for me. You have more use for it than I do, anyway.”

“There’s something else I want to ask you,” Keith says. “I lost my crew. Our ship got wrecked in a storm, and I got separated from them. Have you seen them around?”

Krolia thinks for a bit before nodding. “I have, actually. I saw Shiro and Adam passing by about a week ago. They were passing by and seemed to be arguing about something, and I wondered why you weren’t with them. I figured you were just back at the ship.”

Keith swallows. “So, they’re alive?”

“Definitely. Alive and well.”

“What about Kolivan, Thace, and Ulaz?”

“That, I don’t know.”

Keith closes his eyes and sits down, holding his face in his hands as he lets out a shaky breath. “Oh, gods.”

Against my better judgment, I take a step towards him and place my hand on his back. He seems to relax a bit under my touch, and I rub up and down to reassure him. Longing lurches in my gut, forcing me to close my eyes. If I’m feeling this way when Keith’s here, what’s going to happen when he’s gone? I don’t even want to entertain that thought. But a cold pool of dread starts to grow in my stomach, and I bite my lip to keep it from quivering. 

If Krolia notices my reaction she doesn’t say anything, and the four of us depart form her store after she gives us more info on Shiro and Adam. We start heading back, taking our time walking through the streets that’ll take us back to the ship. Every step seems to take longer and longer, filling my shoes with lead as my gaze trains on the concrete. The pit in my stomach widens. I have to talk to him.

“Hey, Hunk? Matt?” I say, bringing my head up and quickening my pace to catch up with them.

The two look back at me. “Yeah?”

“Go on ahead,” I say. “I need to talk with Keith for a bit.”

Matt nods. “Sure. See you later.”

Once they’re out of hearing range I turn to Keith with as blank of an expression I can muster. “What are you going to do?”

Keith lets out a rough sigh and runs his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I’ll try and find Shiro and Adam, and see where that takes me. But I don’t even know where to start looking for them.”

My mouth is full of sand and my heart hammers in my throat. I force myself to talk. “Will you . . . Once you find them, what will you do?”

Keith looks confused by that question. “I’ll go with them, obviously.”

Ouch. “You won’t stick around?”

Keith frowns. “Of course not. They’re my crew, Lance.”

“But . . .” I want to say, _But we just found each other_ , but I can’t say that without giving away how much Keith means to me now. Of course, he meant a lot to me before, but now it’s like I can’t picture myself without him.

“Wait,” Keith starts, “do you not want me to go with them?”

“No, no, it’s . . . it’s not that,” I fumble, stalling to find a good excuse as I feel the tension tighten in the air. “It’s just that, um—”

“Lance, I can’t _not_ go with them,” Keith interrupts, a warning note in his tone. “They’re my crew members, the people I’ve been with for the past seven years. Haggar said they’re alive, so I’m going to choose to believe that. I can’t just abandon them.”

“You didn’t have a problem abandoning me back then,” I reply, immediately regretting the words as they leave my mouth. But it’s like I can’t control what I say, and the rest of it comes spilling out as fear and anger clash under my skin and force my voice to grow louder. “If you leave, it’s like the same as before.”

Keith’s eyes widen before they narrow in anger. “I thought we were past all of that. I apologized, didn’t I?”

“But you still haven’t given me a reason!” I yell. “Do you know how _long_ ten years is, Keith? Do you know how many times I wondered to myself what went wrong? How much I blamed _myself_ for what happened? And you still haven’t told me why!”

Pain flashes across Keith’s expression before his jaw clenches in rage. “I told you, it’s not that simple! And you don’t know the half of what it means to blame yourself! I’m the one who actually left, and you want to talk to _me_ about feeling guilty? What the hell, Lance?!”

Crap. I try to recover. “But if you leave, then—”

“Save it.” Keith cuts me off with a glare filled with hurt and fury. “If this is still how you feel, then maybe it’s pointless to try and be friends again.”

Desperation clenches at my throat and I take a step towards him. “No, that’s—”

“I can look for my crew on my own,” Keith says, stepping back. “Bye, Lance.”

And he just . . . walks away. And I let him. I stare at his back as he leaves me for the second time, and I clutch at my heart as a painful ache spreads across my chest. And suddenly I can’t breathe, the desperation in my throat distorting into hot regret. Gods, what have I done?

* * *

I pause before raising my fist, bracing myself for a possible berating once I tell her what happened. I swallow back my nerves and knock a couple times. The time it takes for Krolia to come to the door is filled with the image of Keith’s hurt face, and I choke back my guilt for the millionth time. Gods. Why did I have to go and say all those things? I must be the biggest idiot in the world.

The wooden door swings open and Krolia blinks in surprise. “Lance. What are you doing here?”

I can’t meet her gaze, instead glancing out to the street as the lamps begin to flicker on. “Um, can I talk to you for a minute? It’s about Keith.”

Her expression settles into what might be sympathy. “Alright. Come on in.” We head to the back of the store again, where she pours me a cup of tea and sets it down in front of me. I mutter a quick ‘thank you’ and she sits down across from me with her own cup. “So. What’s on your mind?”

“I . . .” Now that the time has actually come for me to explain what happened, I’m not sure how to start. “I had a fight with Keith.”

“That’s a first,” Krolia snorts, and I frown at her sarcastic tone.

“Hey, I’m being serious,” I insist.

“He told me about you, you know,” Krolia says.

I blink. “What did he say?”

Krolia sips her tea as she crosses one leg over the other. “Lots of things. Stuff from when you guys were kids. How he felt over the years, not knowing whether you were alive or not. And the reason why he left in the first place.”

The tea catches in my throat as I take a sip, and a cough takes over my body as I try to recover. “H-he—” _HACK_ , “he _what?_ ”

Krolia chuckles and sets her cup down. “Why don’t you tell me about this fight?”

I shift my gaze away. “I . . . I hurt him again. I started thinking about how once he found his crew, he’d leave. And I got scared.” I close my eyes. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”

Krolia is silent for a bit. “Let me tell you something, Lance. I’m fortunate enough that I got to understand my son better over the past few years, but you’re just getting to know him as he is now. And as he is now, he has trouble reflecting on his own emotions and feelings. He’s quick to anger, and will often ignore what he feels so he doesn’t have to confront it. Knowing this, and given your interactions with him so far, how do you think he feels about this fight you had?”

I glance down at my tea and grip it harder, the heat quickly sending tingles through my hands. “To be honest, I’m still not sure.”

“Then you’re just as dense as Keith is.”

“Hey!”

“What? I’m just stating what I see.”

I sigh and sit back in my chair. “I still don’t know how he feels. Except angry, probably.”

“I think you know more than you think you do,” Krolia says softly, and I look up to see her giving me a patient smile. She gets up and grabs a pen and paper, quickly scribbling something on it before handing it to me. “Keith sometimes stays here for a month or so. When he lives with me, he often frequents this place when he needs to escape. I think you’ll find him there now.”

I glance at the directions on the paper scrap and give her a determined smile before standing up. “Thank you, Krolia. I’m off to find Keith.”

“Good luck,” she replies. “You’ll need it to get through that hard head of his.”

* * *

“Of course this is where he ends up,” I mutter, glancing up at a sign that reads in blocky letters _The Copper Lime Inn._ I sigh and head inside.

The tavern is fairly small, with dimly lit seating areas and a bar across left side of the room. A staircase at the back most likely leads to the lodging rooms, and I can see a couple doors beneath the stairs marked as restrooms. There are quite a few people here already, with most of them around my age. If this were any other night I’d think the ambiance was nice. Not too loud, not too stuffy. There’s a small group of huge-looking men and women in the back challenging each other to arm wrestles for beer, but other than that there’s not much going on. I glance over at the bar, my heart jostling when I see Keith towards the other end nursing a pint of beer. My stomach swirls with butterflies but I force myself to move towards him.

“Keith,” I say, coming to a stop behind him.

He turns around and my heart sinks. “Well, well, weeeelll. If it isn’t ol’ Lancey.”

Keith’s face is flushed, his eyelids are low, and his words are slurred. He is most certainly drunk. “Keith, I need to talk to you.”

“Whadis there to talk about? You don’t want me to find my crew. So I’m not talking to ya’,” he states, downing the last of his drink and slamming it down on the bar.

I resist another sigh and sit down at the bar next to him. “Keith, I”m sorry about everything I said before. I-I was scared of losing you again. So I hurt you instead. And I’m sorry about that.”

Keith glares down at his empty glass, his lower lip slightly protruding in a pout that I can’t help but find adorable. After a pause he looks up at the bartender. “Can I have another?”

“Okay, nope. We’re not doing this.” I stand up, grab him from behind, and link my hands in front of his chest. I put some coins down on the counter, not sure how much Keith owes but figuring it’ll be enough. “Thank you, bartender, but that’s enough for my friend tonight.”

“Hey! Whadya think you’re doing?!” Keith yells, struggling against my grip. Luckily he’s so out of of it that it’s only a slight inconvenience for me.

“Be quiet, before I carry you bridal style,” I threaten, but Keith just glares at me.

He complains all the way back to the ship, every so often making a weak attempt to escape my grasp. We have to make a few stops so Keith can vomit in alley-ways, but somehow we make it to the boat in one piece. I call up to Allura and she heads down the plank to help me maneuver Keith aboard. His struggling has stopped completely by now, and I’m half convinced he’s fallen asleep. Luckily most of the crew is below deck already, so they don’t have to see what a fool their captain is making of himself. Allura helps me get Keith into my bed for the second night in a row, and when she closes the door as she leaves I heave a huge sigh. I’m so glad this day is over. I glance at Keith as he lays sprawled against my sheets, and my attraction to him lights a flame underneath my belly. I run my hands over my face and think about heading downstairs for some sleep.

I stand up. “Alright, Keith. I’ll see you in the morning. Where you’re gonna’ have one hell of a hangover.”

Keith opens his eyes halfway and gazes at me. “Laaaaance.”

The flame jolts in my stomach at the sound of Keith slurring my name like that. His half-open eyes and flushed face are intoxicating. “Y-yeah?”

“Come here.”

“Huh?”

Keith struggles to sit up in bed, but I take a seat and lean forward, pressing my hand to his chest in an effort to get him to lie down again. “Nonono, no way, dude. You need to be resting right now.”

Keith grabs my hand, sending another jolt through me, and looks me in the eye. “Lance. I . . . I need to thank you.”

What? This Keith is so different from earlier that it takes me a moment to reply. “Uh, th-there’s no need.”

“No, I need to thank you,” he insists. “You’re, you’re being so kind to me.”

I blink. “Of course. Anyone in my situation would—”

“No, Lance, you don’t get it,” Keith slurs. He leans closer, taking my face between his hands.

Wait, wait, wait. Keith is way too close for me to think properly. And my heart is too loud and too fast and I can’t _think_. “Uh, Keith?”

“You’re special,” Keith murmurs, bringing his face closer. “I’ve always thought that.”

Can Keith feel my face heating up? I really hope he can’t. I force a nervous chuckle. “I think you’re really drunk right now.”

“You don’t believe me?” Keith’s eyebrows pull together and I swallow as the heat intensifies in my gut. I can’t handle how cute he looks right now. “Lance, you . . . you make me want to do things.”

My heart pounds in my ears. What is he saying? “What do you mean?”

In an instant Keith pushes me flat on the bed, holds my face, and presses his lips to mine. Our mouths move together, and for a second I forget what’s happening as intense vibrations run up and down my body. The feel of Keith’s lips is unlike anything I’ve experienced, and it sends more heat rolling through me. But then I remember the situation and I push Keith away from me, gasping as our lips break contact. I look up at Keith’s fully flushed face, and I can feel my own blush burn across my cheeks. Keith’s lips are slightly swollen and he wears a fragile, vulnerable expression like he’s about to start crying.

“You make me want to do things like that,” he whispers, his voice hoarse. His eyes flutter closed and he collapses on top of me, a soft snore coming from him as he sleeps.

What. The hell. Just happened. I drag the back of my hand across my lips, my face reheating as the kiss replays in my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut. Keith kissed me. Keith just fucking _kissed_ me. Not island-mist Keith, not dream Keith, but the actual, real-life flesh-and-blood Keith. And for a second, I kissed him back. I gingerly ease myself out from underneath him, settling Keith back against the pillows so that his head is at an angle. The last thing he needs is to throw up on himself. I slide down against the bed frame and bury my face in my hands. _What the hell just happened?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI FRIENDS!!! it's been a long time coming, but I finally finished chapter 6. i'm not sure when chapter 7 will be up, but i've been working on this more frequently so hopefully it wont be as long as it took for chapter six. anyway I hope you enjoy it, don't forget to leave a comment letting me know what you think if you can!


	7. Wishful Thinking and Over-Analyzing

I splash cold water over my face, hoping it will wake me up a little. Thanks to a  _ certain someone  _ I ended up getting next to no sleep last night, and between my throbbing headache and sluggish body, I’m not looking forward to the day. Especially because I have no idea how I’m going to face Keith after what happened. After  _ the event that shall not be named _ happened, I headed down to the lower deck to grab an empty room for myself. I ended up spending the next thirty minutes just staring at the ceiling, replaying  _ the event _ over and over in my head. Part of me still thinks I imagined the whole thing. After all, it’s highly unlikely that Keith would do something like  _ that _ . Not to mention the fact that he was wasted out of his mind so he probably thought I was someone else. But the other part of me kind of wants what Keith said to be true. If he actually thinks I’m special, if he actually has feelings for me, that would solve a lot of our problems. I shake my head.  _ Wishful thinking doesn’t suit you, Lance _ . I splash some more water on my face, towel myself off, and head up to my room to figure things out for once.

I slowly open my cabin door and peer inside. Keith seems to still be asleep. Well, no use trying to talk to him now. Instead, I make a quick stop at the galley so I can grab some water and food. No one else is there yet, which is surprising, but I guess it’s early enough that the rest of the crew is still sleeping. When I get back to my room I see Keith starting to sit up in bed, and my stomach dips as I prepare myself for the conversation we’re about to have.

“Morning,” I say, bringing two chairs over so I can put the food on one of them.

“Ugh,” Keith groans, holding his forehead in one hand. “I’m never drinking that much again.”

I snicker. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ve said that before.”

Keith glares at me with bloodshot eyes. “Don’t patronize me.”

I hand him the glass of water and he eagerly chugs it down, giving me time to figure out what to say next. “So, um . . . did you mean that? Last night, I mean?”

Keith finishes the cup and sets it down. “What do you mean?”

I can’t meet his gaze. “What you, um, said. About me. And the other thing, too.”

Keith takes a beat to reply. “I’m really sorry about that, Lance. I think . . . I think I was just worried. But that doesn’t excuse how I reacted, and I’m sorry for taking my fears out on you. And I didn’t mean to say that we shouldn’t be friends anymore. I’m actually really grateful that you’ve helped me look for my crew this whole time, and I also don’t want to—”

“Wait, hold on a second.” I lean forward, frowning. “You’re talking about our fight, right?”

Keith nods. “I felt really bad after I left, but I didn’t know if you would take me on your ship after I said I’d look for my crew on my own.”

“Wait,  _ you _ felt bad?  _ I _ felt bad,” I say. “I mean, I basically accused you of abandoning me when I knew that you were just trying to find the people you care about. It wasn’t fair of me to say that, but I guess . . . I guess I didn’t want to say goodbye just yet.”

“You were right about one thing, though,” Keith murmurs, leaning back against the pillow and closing his eyes. “I still haven’t told you why I left in the first place.”

“I’m not going to pretend I don’t want to know,” I say quietly. “It’s been such a huge source of hurt over the years that that’s probably the thing I want to know the most. But I also know that it’s hard for you, too, and I don’t want to pressure you into saying something you’re not ready to say.”

Keith opens his eyes and looks over at me with an expression so sad that I don’t know how to react. An expression like he’s aching, yearning, dying to say something but he knows he can’t. Like for him it’s a foregone conclusion that what he has to say won’t be accepted. And that one look from him is enough for my skin to burn and my heart squeeze. That one look from him ignites the flame beneath my stomach, just hot enough to be painful. That one look from him makes me feel everything I’ve been trying to hold back, and suddenly it’s too much that I’m in the same room as him and I can’t do anything. I can’t touch him, hold him, or kiss him. I’m too close, and at the same time I’m not nearly close enough. The heat in my gut intensifies, and I clench my jaw. It’s too much.

“I wish I could tell you,” Keith whispers, and I shiver at how raw his voice sounds. “I don’t know how.”

I barely have time to think before I’m leaning forward to place my hand over his. The slightest jolt from Keith sends the heat from my gut rushing through my hands, and I force myself not to react to it. Keith keeps his gaze locked with mine, and everything in me screams to look away. Our faces are too close, and I fear he’ll be able to see right through me. Surely he’ll be able to see what I feel for him. Surely he’ll be able to see how desperately I need to kiss him right now. Surely he’ll be able to see everything.

“You can tell me anything,” I breathe, unable to pull my eyes away from his. My senses are too amplified, too heightened. I can feel the impression of Keith’s body below me, despite the few inches of space in between. I can hear how shallow his breathing is, and how his throat works to swallow. I can smell the remnants of the alcohol on his breath and skin, but I’m not repulsed. I can feel my heartbeat through my entire body, like I’m on the inside of it and not the other way around. It envelops me, drowning out my thoughts and threatening to fill the room, and I think it’s impossible that Keith can’t hear it.

“I . . .,” Keith murmurs, his gaze traveling over my face and leaving burning lines in its wake. “I can’t. Not yet.”

Something knocks against the side of the ship, startling both of us and cutting through the moment. I stand up straight and swallow, only now noticing how dry my throat is. I don’t want to go just yet. I still haven’t talked to him about the kiss, and how much it shook me. But he hasn’t given any sign that he wants to talk about it. And if I ask him about his feelings, I’m worried he’ll ask me about mine, and I don’t know if I’m ready to tell him just yet. Man, I’m a hypocrite.

“That’s okay,” I say finally, giving him a small smile and hoping he believes me. “You can tell me in your own time.”

Keith averts his gaze and nods once. “Okay.”

I stretch my hands over my head, letting out a deep breath as I do. “I’m gonna’ gather everyone in the navigation room in a bit to talk about where we’re going next, but you can stay here if you’re not up for it. After all, that alcohol must’ve done a number on you.”

A smile tugs at the corner of Keith’s mouth. “Didn’t I say not to patronize me?”

I laugh. “Fine, fine. See ya’ later, then.”

I turn and move towards the door, but Keith calls me back. “Lance?”

I glance back at him. “Yeah?”

“What was the other thing you were asking about?”

“Huh?”

“You asked me if I meant what I said last night, and then you said, ‘and the other thing, too’. What was the other thing?”

I blink. Is he being serious right now? “You mean . . . you don’t know?”

Keith frowns. “Know what?”

“How much do you remember from last night?” I ask.

“I remember drinking. I remember you coming to the bar and getting me. And I think I remember throwing up? Everything after that is blank.”

“Oh.” 

“Why, did something happen?”

Keith . . . doesn’t remember the kiss. Is that a good thing? I can’t tell. But I don’t think I should tell him right now. Or maybe I just don’t want to. I force myself to shrug. “Nah, I was just wondering. I hope your headache goes away.”

I don’t wait for his response before I leave the room, leaning against the closed door behind me. I slowly trace my lips with my fingers, my gaze unfocusing as I replay the kiss in my head. I can still remember the feel of Keith’s lips against my own, and I close my eyes as desire washes over me. I think I’m going to spontaneously combust if I don’t kiss him again. 

I shake my head. Now is not the time to be thinking about this. And Keith doesn’t even remember it himself. Is it wrong for me to obsess over a kiss that happened while Keith was basically incapacitated? I take a deep breath and let it out, pushing away from the door and heading towards the galley. 

* * *

I find Hunk, Coran, and Allura there already, with Pidge still sleeping and Matt at the helm. I serve myself some food and take a seat, and I catch Allura giving me a look through narrow eyes. I ignore and try to eat, but I can feel her staring at me and it makes it so I can’t concentrate on my food. Finally, after my third or fourth bite, I turn to her.

“Did you need something?” I ask.

Allura grins. “Aren’t you going to explain what happened last night?”

My face burns. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on,” she teases, her grin widening. “I’ve already told Hunk and Coran about the very drunk Keith that returned to the ship yesterday.”

“Yeah, what happened, dude?” Hunk asks, smiling as well. “We wanna’ know.”

I groan and rub my hands down my face. “This is not helping my headache.”

“Morning, guys,” Pidge says, grabbing a share of food and sitting down next to me. They cover their mouth as they yawn. “What’s the hot gossip?”

“Keith got pissed last night,” Coran answers, winking at me.

“Coran!” I snap.

“Keith got angry?” Pidge asks.

“No, he means Keith got sozzled,” Allura clarifies, to more confused looks.

“Okay, Keith was drunk!” I snap. “Will you guys quit talking about it now? We’re pirates, for gods’ sakes. It’s not like we’re strangers to drinking.”

“Yeah, but even  _ I’ve _ never heard of someone that sloshed,” Coran says, taking a bite of his bread. “And I’ve been on the lash quite a few times in my day.”

“So, why was Keith so drunk?” Pidge asks.

I sigh. “He and I fought. He was upset. I found him in a bar, and I brought him back. That’s all that happened.”

“Uh-huh,” Allura notes, her gaze knowing. “Sure. Well, regardless of Keith’s escapades, we need to talk about where we’re headed next.”

“The map will tell us where the last two pieces are, right?” Hunk checks.

“Why don’t we move breakfast to the navigation room and we can talk more there?” I say.

The five of us head upstairs where we settle around the table. Allura brings out the map pieces and Haggar’s map, and we all lean in to take a look. Something instantly stands out on Haggar’s map.

“Weren’t there two pieces left?” I say, leaning in more to get a better look. Before, the pieces to Voltron’s Trove showed up as glimmering dots, shimmering against the map’s texture to let us know where they were. I could’ve sworn there’d been three dots on the map before getting the scrap from Krolia, but now there was only one.

“And this dot wasn’t here before, was it?” Allura says, pointing to the one remaining dot. “I’m sure it was somewhere on the continent, and not out at sea.”

“Wait, let me see,” Pidge says, and I slide the map over to them. They stare at it for a long moment, and after several seconds of observation, they nod. “The last two map pieces are in the same location. And that location keeps moving around.”

“How can you tell?” Coran asks.

“I stared at it long enough and it was just barely moving,” they reply. “And this dot is slightly bigger than the dots were before. At least, I’m hoping that’s what it is.”

“Those pieces are probably with Lotor then, right?” Hunk says. “He’s been looking for them since the start.”

“That makes sense,” I reply. 

“So, do we go looking for Lotor now?” Coran asks. “I don’t really want to fight him again, honestly.”

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Allura says. “We can always try a stealth mission as well.”

I nod. “Before we do anything, I think we need to pay Romelle another visit. We need more information on Lotor, and we don’t have that right now.”

Coran gets up and stretches. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll take the helm from Matt.”

* * *

The journey to Romelle’s town takes a few days, and the majority of the time is spent by me being at war with myself. I can barely look at Keith without being reminded of the kiss and how it felt just to put my hand on his. After Keith left my room I seriously debated not changing the sheets because they smelled like him. But the thought of keeping them creeped me out, and the sheets kinda smelled like booze anyway. My interactions with Keith are the same as always, but with an undercurrent of electricity that I can’t figure out if Keith feels or not. Too often I’ll catch myself holding our eye contact a little too long, and I’ll look away. I still don’t know if I want him to know about my feelings. But I do know that I have to talk to him about the kiss so I can find out if he meant it.

When we reach Romelle’s town I take Keith, Allura, and Hunk with me. Allura greets Romelle with a huge embrace, the two laughing together as they hug. “Oh, it’s so good to see you! I feel like it’s been forever!”

Allura laughs as she pulls back. “I know! I’m just glad to see you again now.”

“Of course,” Romelle grins. She turns to give Hunk and me a hug next, and as she steps back her expression lights up. “Oh, that’s right! Keith, I have news about your crew.”

Keith’s eyes widen. “What?”

She nods and starts moving to the back of the shop, leaving us to follow. “I was trying to figure out a way to get a message to you, since I wasn’t sure which town you were stopped at, but it’s a good thing you’re here now.”

The five of us gather around her table, and my breath hitches as Keith’s shoulder brushes against mine as he sits next to me and turns to face Romelle.  _ Focus, Lance. _ “What’s the news?” 

“I was at a diner nearby,” Romelle starts, “and while I was waiting for my food I overheard the table behind me talking about where they were going to look next. At some point they mentioned their missing captain, quartermaster, and boatswain, and as the three of them were leaving I thought two of them looked like the descriptions you mentioned to me last time.”

“And?” Keith asks, leaning forward with a hopeful expression on his face. “What happened?”

Romelle sighs and shakes her head. “I wasn’t able to catch up with them. They left almost as soon as I got there, and when I tried to follow after them I lost them. I’m sorry, Keith.”

Keith’s eyebrows pull together and he fixes his gaze on the table, and it’s a while before he says anything. “That’s okay. At least I know they’re alive. Thank you for trying, Romelle.”

Allura says something and the conversation continues, but their words fade into the background as I scoot the tiniest bit closer to Keith so I can place my hand on his leg. He stiffens under my touch before relaxing into it, covering my hand with his own and briefly squeezing. Shivers wrack my body, and it takes everything in me not to look at him. I need to pay attention to the conversation.

“So then where do you think Lotor is right now?” Romelle asks.

Allura pulls out Haggar’s map and points to the glowing dot on the map. “We think he’s headed towards Icota. It’s the closest city in the direction they’re going, and they’ll end up stopping for supplies at some point.”

“I think our best bet is to do the stealth mission you mentioned before,” I tell Allura. “That way we can minimize the risk.”

She nods. “I think so too.” 

“Okay, then why don’t I get you some extra supplies?” Romelle suggests. “I’ll be back in a tic.”

Romelle gives us the supplies and we head on our way, and the whole time walking back I can’t stop thinking about Keith. Not like that’s new, obviously. But I still haven’t told Keith about the kiss and now that I know how close we are to finding his crew and getting the last treasure pieces, I may not have much time left with him. My mind is made up by the time we set foot on the ship. I’m going to tell him the truth.

* * *

“Can we go over the plan one more time?” Matt asks, shifting in his seat. “I feel like there’s still something we’re missing.”

Just like Allura predicted, Lotor’s ship had stopped in Icota. There was no telling how long he and his crew would be there, but with Icota being a big trade city, especially among sailors (read: pirates), we all agreed he would be there for at least a day. With only a few hours between us and the city, I wanted to hurry and get this meeting over with so I could clear the air between me and Keith.

“Lance and Keith will sneak up on Lotor’s ship tonight,” Allura began, “and they’ll sneak aboard. You’ll be keeping lookout in the crow’s nest, and the rest of us will be on standby in case anything happens.”

“Are we sure that Lotor has the other two pieces?” Hunk asks. “What if it’s someone else’s ship entirely?” 

“Then we’ll deal with that as we go,” I say. 

Coran twirls his mustache with one hand. “Lotor’s ship is bound to be pretty well guarded, I bet.”

“Romelle gave us plenty of extra supplies to help with that,” Allura replies. “Lance and Keith, you two know what to do when you go aboard.”

“Right,” Keith says. 

Pidge smirks as their gaze goes back and forth between me and Keith. “Just try not to get distracted, okay?”

My face burns, and I glare at them. “Distracted by  _ what _ , Pidgeon? Lotor’s flowing locks?”

“If you think Lotor’s hair is nice, that’s all you, bud,” they say, a wicked grin on their face.

Everyone chuckles at that, and I shake my head as I smile reluctantly. I’m too tense to fully get into it with everyone else. My mind is too occupied with what I have to do next, and I can’t relax. The meeting ends and I allow myself a few deep breaths before following everyone out of the room. If there’s any time to talk to Keith, it’s now. We could be in Icota at any moment, and I don’t want to be interrupted. But as soon as I leave my cabin I’m sidetracked by Allura, asking to help finish the ship preparations before we strike. I help her as fast as I can, but it ends up taking a lot longer than anticipated. I’m worried I won’t have enough time to talk to Keith.

I finish the last of the work and head back to my cabin, sitting down at my desk for just a second before someone knocks on my door. “Come in!”

Keith leans inside, giving me a warm smile. “We just docked a few ships away from Lotor’s. You ready?”

Did the time go by that quickly? I could’ve sworn there’d still been at least an hour left, but I must have calculated wrong. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure.”

Keith closes the door behind him and walks over. “You sure you’re ready? You don’t sound like it.”

_ Tell him now, Lance! _ “Keith, there’s . . . there’s something I have to talk to you about.”

Keith blinks. “Now?”

“I know it’s bad timing, but I . . .” I swallow. I’m way too nervous about this. “I feel like I won’t get another chance.”

“Is this about the stealth mission?” Keith asks, his brow furrowing. “You’ll do fine. If there’s anyone I trust to have my back, it’s you.”

“No, it’s . . . it’s something else,” I say, affection washing over me at Keith’s words. “Keith, um . . . for a long time now, well, not for a super long time. Um, more like, since you’ve joined the ship, I guess? Well, definitely not at first, since there was all that stuff going on and I didn’t really know how to feel about you, so you could say it’s something that’s more recent, but not  _ so _ recent as in yesterday—”

“Woah, Lance.” Keith stops me, coming over to my side and pulling up a chair. “Slow down. What is it?”

Tingling goes through my hand and I look down to see that Keith has taken my hand in his. I look back up at him and he squeezes, which I return with a pounding heart. How can Keith not know how I feel about him? How come I’m still so nervous to tell him about those feelings even though he kissed me? How come I have no idea what he’s thinking, even when he does something like this?

“Keith, I . . .,” I start, my voice soft. Our gazes are locked, and I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. “For a while now, I—”

Someone else knocks on the door, and I hear Coran’s muffled voice from outside. “You ready, Lance? Lotor’s ship awaits!”

Keith chuckles and stands up, releasing my hand as he does. “Sorry, Lance. Tell me after we come back from the mission, okay? And we  _ will _ come back, you hear me?”

I sigh through a small smile. “Yeah, I get it. Let’s go kick Lotor’s ass again.”

“Discreetly, I think you mean,” Keith corrects.

I laugh. “Of course. We’ll discreetly kick Lotor’s ass, and then we’ll talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow :))))))))) i wonder :)))))))))) what's gonna happen next :)))))))))))

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! I’m having a lot of fun with this story already, and i can’t wait to show how it unfolds. This story will update every Sunday, and I hope you’ll all stick around until the end. enjoy and as always, leave a comment if you can! :D


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